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From: colburn@lhasa.SRC.Honeywell.COM (Mark H. Colburn)
Newsgroups: gnu.gcc
Subject: Re: GNU's not GNU...
Message-ID: <20164@srcsip.UUCP>
Date: 7 Apr 89 19:58:35 GMT
References: <28354@apple.Apple.COM> <8904042254.AA00430@sugar-bombs.ai.mit.edu> <819@utkcs2.cs.utk.edu> <920@mcmi.UUCP>
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In-reply-to: denny@mcmi.UUCP's message of 7 Apr 89 14:00:48 GMT


denny@mcmi.uucp (Denny Page) writes:
> I cannot agree with this.  Lobby groups would come out of the walls,
> most of which would be supported by companies like Apple who would
> like to see very restrictive laws in place.  The programming
> community (at least that part of it that is concerned by these
> lawsuits) does
> not represent a sufficently sizable body to effectively lobby
> Congress via a letter campaign.

Actually, it is not that the programmers don't constitute a big enough
body, it's that we are not all that organized, and we do not have a
central source of funds.

Unfortunately, the "squeaky wheel get's the grease" hold true in
government.  It is not necessarily what is best for society that is
done, it is what is best for the few, the loud and the solvent.

If the programmers could ban together and sign a petition, or write
letters, or whatever to show their strength, it might be able to
influence the government.  However, I am not sure that having
government involvement is what we really what anyways.

I suppose that we could engage in a mail campaign against Apple...

Mark
Mark H. Colburn           MN65-2300		colburn@SRC.Honeywell.COM
Systems Administration and Support
Honeywell Systems & Research Center