Xref: utzoo alt.security:1357 alt.folklore.computers:4682 comp.society.futures:1977 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!lavaca.uh.edu!uhnix1!sugar!ficc!peter From: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) Newsgroups: alt.security,alt.folklore.computers,comp.society.futures Subject: Re: Feedback on Computer Crime Message-ID: Date: 10 Aug 90 11:53:37 GMT References: <14443@wpi.wpi.edu> <9008081452.AA18175@stc06.CTD.ORNL.GOV> <5=25C=1@xds13.ferranti.com> <1990Aug10.035033.2122@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> Reply-To: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) Organization: Xenix Support, FICC Lines: 27 In article <1990Aug10.035033.2122@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> gsh7w@astsun.astro.Virginia.EDU (Greg S. Hennessy) writes: > # There are people out there who have taken > #free code I have written and put it into commercial programs. I'm proud of > #them as well... for taking a program and putting the time and effort needed > #to make it part of a real product. If I'd have used the GNU copyleft, they > #wouldn't have been able to do that. > I would call the Next a "real" product, and they use GNU. They use separate, individual GNU programs. That's a small subset of the possible ways someone can use my code. They can use it as a library routine, for example (in fact, that's how they're using it). With GNU code if you can't somehow package it into a separate executable you lose. > #Some people *need* shrink-wrapped turnkey systems... and they > #*do* cost money to produce. > I agree that there are people who need turnkey systems, but I don't > see why they *need* a shrink-wrapped system. Also, you are prefectly > allowed to charge for GNU products, you just can't restrict > distribution of the sources. People need to be able to go into a computer store, put down money, and take a box home that they are reasonably assured of being able to load and run first time. That takes a lot of effort to produce from the typical component-stereo sort of freeware. Why go to that effort if someone can just take the sources, type "make", repackage it, and undercut you? -- Peter da Silva. `-_-' +1 713 274 5180. 'U`