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Date:      Tue, 4 Nov 1997 21:08:20 -0500 (EST)
From:      "John S. Dyson" <toor@dyson.iquest.net>
To:        jkh@time.cdrom.com (Jordan K. Hubbard)
Cc:        tlambert@primenet.com, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: mv /usr/src/games /dev/null - any objections?
Message-ID:  <199711050208.VAA14248@dyson.iquest.net>
In-Reply-To: <13165.878689582@time.cdrom.com> from "Jordan K. Hubbard" at "Nov 4, 97 04:26:22 pm"

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Jordan K. Hubbard said:
> [Some great Terry invective elided]
> 
> > It's not so much as "where to start" that pisses me off, but "where you,
> > personally, will stop".  How non-critical to you, personally, does a
> > standard-since-time-immemorial system component have to be before some
> > legal Leprechaun waving what he claims is an invisible magic Shellaleigh
> > (but is really his fist) can not get you to dike it out as a paniced
> > reflexive reacion?!?
> 
> I can only repeat my earlier statement: Experience has shown us that
> the benefit-to-risk ratio of /usr/src/games is low.  Period.  I don't
> personally care about the degree of emotional attachment you or anyone
> else here has to them because I do not regard this as an issue to be
> debated on emotional grounds - save that for the anti-abortion debates
> because this is just a collection of bits who's "standardness" is
> entirely secondary to their function and can always be loaded as a
> port by the aging hackers who, with the aid of a growing collection of
> "Speed Racer" cars and Mighty Mouse T-shirts, seek to recapture their
> lost youth through such nostalgia.  I'm not denying you that, Terry,
> calm yourself. :)
> 
I don't know about "abortion", but I agree with you Jordan on this point.  There
are things to fight for, and things simply not worth fighting for.  The
/usr/games can be downloaded from many places and ported by anyone who wants them.
Whoever wants the games bad enough to keep in FreeBSD should keep a lawyer for
WC and/or FreeBSD on retainer and be willing, able and committed to supporting a
potential lawsuit and settlement.  Only then there *might* be a credible argument for
you (us) to keep the games in the release.

IMO, /usr/games just aren't worth the potential trouble.  In fact, they aren't
worth the emotional or intellectual energy that we have expended on this discussion.

Also, I just don't believe in domino theories...  (Compromise once, and we will
be compelled to compromise more and more often.)

-- 
John
dyson@freebsd.org
jdyson@nc.com



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