Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!uoregon!tillamook!markv
From: markv@tillamook.uucp (Mark VandeWettering)
Newsgroups: gnu.gcc
Subject: Re: Some people won't use GCC
Message-ID: <4818@uoregon.uoregon.edu>
Date: 5 Jun 89 16:52:56 GMT
References: <8906022109.AA00195@sugar-bombs.ai.mit.edu> <8906022354.AA28510@uther.cs.purdue.edu> <16505@paris.ics.uci.edu>
Sender: news@uoregon.uoregon.edu
Reply-To: markv@tillamook.UUCP (Mark VandeWettering)
Distribution: gnu
Organization: University of Oregon CIS Dept.
Lines: 64

In article <16505@paris.ics.uci.edu> Doug Schmidt <schmidt@zola.ics.uci.edu> writes:
>In article <8906022354.AA28510@uther.cs.purdue.edu> spaf@CS.PURDUE.EDU (Gene Spafford) writes:
>++ Sigh.  I'm not getting across to the GNUers with this, I guess.
>No Gene, your message is coming across loud and clear, like a siren's
>song.
	[ Poetic drivel deleted to save on net.alka.seltzer] 


	The Free Software Foundation was founded to make software
	available to people everywhere, to create software that everyone
	could use.  Unfortunately, the FSF has decided to copyright its
	works under a very RESTRICTIVE license.

	All the people who are part of the Free Software Foundation will
	disagree, claiming that this license is what guarantees that the
	software will remain free.   But you don't need a license to do
	that.  It's called PUBLIC DOMAIN.

	But, you claim, then people could snarf it up, make proprietary
	changes, sell it, restrict access to binaries.

	Yes.  But you would always be able to compete with that because
	your intent was to make it freely available.


	I admire the Free Software Foundation.  Their nearly endless
	energy and talent has produced some very fine software, and I
	probably will continue to use their products.  However, I have
	begun to view the "copyleft" under which gnu products are
	released as being too restrictive.

>You want us to recant our faith that GNU supports a purpose more noble
>than simply pandering to your `sponsors' demands.  

>You want us to cringe in fear upon hearing that some powerful
>organizations don't approve of our convictions.

>You want us to keep our place, and not protest against myopic policies
>of computer vendors that try robbing our dignity.
	
	Oh please, but it gets better....

>We understand the song you sing, because we've heard it sung many
>times before.

>Whether it be Tiananmen Square or Panama City or Pretoria
>we understand that those with a vested interest in the status quo
>will stop at nothing to retain their power and control.

	Now Gene Spafford is the element of fascism on the net?
	Making empty, over melodramatic acusations can only fuel a sense
	of public alienation for the GNU project.

	I have considered in the past donating some of my projects to
	the GNU project, but have serious doubts about doing so now.
	These are largely due to the overly political tone under which
	software is distributed.

	It sure would be nice to replace those copyleft notices which
	add a good 8K to every file in GNU software with something like

	"Use this code.  Improve this code.  Tell me about it."

Mark VandeWettering