lucky13
Group: Members
Posts: 1478
Joined: Feb. 2007 |
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Posted: June 19 2008,22:22 |
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| Quote | | It is apparent that much of what was said from both ends was influenced by emotion... |
Speaking for yourself?
No matter how useful this compilation of software has been, I'm concerned that DSL will now trade a little "security" for liberty. You can find what Ben Franklin said about those elsewhere. ;)
There's a bigger principle involved here than his or anyone's emotions. It's about the right to the see the sources, the right to change the sources to suit one's own needs (rather than the developer's), and the right to redistribute those changes.
DSL didn't change code, just the compilation so the parts could be used independently rather than the full sum. This negates all of his claims that anything was changed. If there needs to be a copyright notice, make it suitable. But I don't see RMS everytime I cp, mv, or tar something. I don't need to see Murga's name every time I run something like lua or fltk. (I won't see it anyway but that's my right.)
As far as that little bit of security I mentioned goes, you saw how this was handled by Murga. Have we had an answer about why it's only an issue NOW that copyright notices aren't prominently displayed when lua -- with or without the rest of the runtime -- is invoked? What will happen next time someone chooses to use the freedom afforded by the license he chose for his project? Will they again be reflexively accused of pilfering code? Of removing things that haven't been removed? Of changing things that haven't been changed? Of daring to embrace the freedom of having the source to suit *our own needs* so long as we comply with the rest of the GPL? Or will he continue moving goalposts so things that weren't required before are required now?
What good is the code -- what good is the GPL -- if you're unable to use it as you see fit?
I know John and Robert are trying to mend a fence even though they didn't break it. Maybe this isn't one that shouldn't be mended.
If DSL sacrifices the freedom of the GPL in this instance, where will it cut the next corner?
Fork the code. You don't need his permission to use it. Just make the proper attributions and acknowledgments as they were status quo ante -- before Murga changed his mind about his license (and what it means for users) and about all the new hoops he wants DSL to jump through.
(edited: moved one sentence)
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"It felt kind of like having a pitbull terrier on my rear end."
-- meo (copyright(c)2008, all rights reserved)
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