Path: utzoo!censor!geac!jtsv16!uunet!bloom-beacon!UMIACS.UMD.EDU!steve
From: steve@UMIACS.UMD.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: The OSF is *what*?
Message-ID: <8909181323.AA28785@fnord.umiacs.UMD.EDU>
Date: 18 Sep 89 13:23:24 GMT
References: <894@paperboy.OSF.ORG>
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 32


   I know about OSF membership.  I was one of the people here who suggested
that we (sound of switching hats from UMIACS to the CS Department) join.
We've been members since March-ish.  (It's worth noting in passing that
academic memberships don't cost $25K.  They're more like $5K or less, though
I no longer remember the exact figure.)  I also know what has to be done to
get Motif source.  My comments, past and present, about Motif source
availability are known.

   If there is a list for Motif fixes, and if *everyone* on that list sees
*all* the fixes that are sent to that list (i.e., it's not just a bugfix
repository like sunbugs@sun.com or 4bsd-bugs@okeeffe.berkeley.edu), that
will mostly solve the problem of access to fixes.  My only fear in this case
is that the readership still isn't wide enough.  For example, would I be
allowed on the Motif bugfix list, even though I'm not listed as the official
technical contact for UMCP CSD's membership with OSF?

   The issue of disallowing the posting of Motif diffs to public lists or
newsgroups still strikes me (in the absence of further information; I'd like
OSF to speak up and clarify) as unnecessarily paranoid, and perhaps
downright fascist.  I agree with Barry Shein's suggestion -- perhaps if
OSF wants to flex legal muscles, it should try to clean up the copyright
laws, rather than giving in to them.  Stupid laws deserve to be struck down.

   Now back to your regularly scheduled technical discussion...

	-Steve
	(mouthing off for myself again, and not for any of the organizations
	I might work for or deal with)

Spoken: Steve Miller    Domain: steve@umiacs.umd.edu    UUCP: uunet!mimsy!steve
Phone: +1-301-454-1808  USPS: UMIACS, Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742