Date: Sat, 03 Oct 1998 11:22:26 -0600 From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> To: James Love <love@cptech.org> Cc: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com>, dmorrisn <dmorrisn@u.washington.edu>, Wes Peters <wes@softweyr.com>, "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@time.cdrom.com>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Device Drivers for Linux and Intel's annoucement Message-ID: <4.1.19981003110731.040b6910@mail.lariat.org> In-Reply-To: <36162823.4C5A9314@cptech.org> References: <4.1.19981002202119.040f7c30@mail.lariat.org> <23307.907176696@time.cdrom.com> <4.1.19981002190913.040f3b60@mail.lariat.org> <36158AD6.811BD16E@u.washington.edu> <4.1.19981002202119.040f7c30@mail.lariat.org> <4.1.19981002211803.040e9870@mail.lariat.org>
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At 09:35 AM 10/3/98 -0400, James Love wrote: > It seems to me that Brett would like to kill Linux as > a platform, perhaps because of the GPL, which he > appears to really hate. Jamie: Untrue on both counts, and you do me a tremendous disservice by saying so. I have never stated that I wish to "kill" Linux as a platform -- nor, in fact, do I wish to do so. However, I do believe that it is no more worthy than many other alternatives, and is inferior to at least one: FreeBSD. Linux seems, however, to have achieved "fad" status, and this is dangerous because it may undermine superior or potentially superior alternatives. Also, I do believe that most users (as well as many developers) do not understand the intended consequences of the GPL or the many problems it can and will cause in the long term if it becomes the dominant license for open source software. I don't "hate" it (and think it is inappropriate for you to trivialize my objections to it by attempting to claim that they are the result of an irrational emotional response). However, I do see the GPL as intentionally hostile to entrepreneurship and innovation, and hence very destructive. > I think this is a mistake, and not particularly > contructive, but Brett has his reasons. Again, I've stated the quite rational reasons for my objections to the GPL frequently. It disappoints me that you choose to disparage me, and them, rather than listening. > At a point, hwoever, one has to question just about > anything Brett is saying about Linux, because he > seems (to me) to have have lost perspective. Au contraire -- I see most of those who advocate the GPL as lacking perspective. Most of them seem only to have in mind one short-term goal: to damage Microsoft's business prospects. They do not look far enough ahead and recognize the damage that the GPL will do to potential competitors of Microsoft's, and to the development of commericial software in general. Some advocates on the GPL, on the other hand, do NOT lack perspective but rather have as a goal the destruction of ALL commercial software ventures. These people hope that OTHERS' lack of perspective will cause them to unwittingly further this goal. Richard Stallman is among those who fall into this latter camp. --Brett Glass To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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