Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!AI.MIT.EDU!tower
From: tower@AI.MIT.EDU (Leonard H. Tower Jr.)
Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss
Subject: Making $$$ from software - GNU vs the world
Message-ID: <8912222042.AA13655@wheat-chex>
Date: 22 Dec 89 20:42:39 GMT
References: <8322@stiatl.UUCP>
Sender: karl@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Reply-To: gnu-misc-discuss@cis.ohio-state.edu
Distribution: gnu
Organization: Project GNU, Free Software Foundation,
         675 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA  02139, USA   +1 (617) 876-3296
Lines: 35


   Date: 21 Dec 89 23:34:54 GMT
   From: swrinde!emory!stiatl!meo@cs.utexas.edu  (Miles O'Neal)

   ...

   This whole discussion
   began around Richard Stallman's (apparent) belief that selling software is
   immoral, not around whether I should use GNU or what I should get from/give
   to GNU/anyone else.

   ...

I would characterize this belief of Richard Stallman's as:
 Restricting the free re-distribition of software, including source
 code, is wrong.
The phrase 'seeling software' is too inexact and can be taken many ways.

   Coupled with other remarks I have seen of Richard Stallman's, it seems
   that the idea is to FORCE software sharing, by one means or another.
   Very different thing.

   ...

One of the goals of the GNU Project is to allow ethical people to have
all the freely re-distributable software they need.  

Another is to show by example, that freely re-distributable software
is superior.

The Project isn't forcing you to do anything except to choose whether
to use GNU software, or some other software.  Do you deny the people
involved with GNU the right to do what they wish within the law?

thanx -len