Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 23:13:07 -0400 From: Mark Mayo <mark@vmunix.com> To: esr@thyrsus.com, Wes Peters <wpeters@xylan.com> Cc: "Justin T. Gibbs" <gibbs@narnia.plutotech.com>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Open Source Products Message-ID: <19980413231307.01919@vmunix.com> In-Reply-To: <19980413215647.37918@snark.thyrsus.com>; from Eric S. Raymond on Mon, Apr 13, 1998 at 09:56:47PM -0400 References: <199804131719.LAA21122@narnia.plutotech.com> <35326353.4E30451B@xylan.com> <19980413201541.65522@snark.thyrsus.com> <3532AD36.2968F8B6@xylan.com> <19980413215647.37918@snark.thyrsus.com>
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On Mon, Apr 13, 1998 at 09:56:47PM -0400, Eric S. Raymond wrote: > Wes Peters <wpeters@xylan.com>: > > A third scenario that is less likely but would still help would be > > convergence of the disparate groups back into one organization. It's > > really too bad we have to have three web sites, three ftp server > > organizations, three differing (and more or less successful) CD-ROM > > programs, etc., for what are very similar products. > > That's the key thing, IMO. The fact that the BSD crowd is split into > squabbling spinoff-group-of-the-week factions, while Linux looks > pretty much like one big happy family united under benign Daddy > Torvalds, negates every single technical advantage you guys have. The fact is, the BSD crowd is *not* split into "squabbling spinoff-group- of-the-week factions". Just look at the amount of sharing that happens between the 3 - the ports and package systems, VM enhancements, boot code, network drivers, sound system, etc, etc.. There are an astonishing number of developers that commit code to multiple BSDs, and we all gain tremendous insight by taking a look at how the other camps are independantly doing things. It's a very creative, productive environment. Although there are 3 seperate BSDs, with a few big mouths that sometimes take things personally, it is very unfair to categorize the entire movement as you do. The only reason that this reputation exists is that people like yourself continue to believe/promote it. The only reason I can think of why you would continue to be mislead in this fashion, is that you somehow feel better about the splintering of the Linux groups by creating this mythical war between the BSD "factions" - then you can compare yourself to this horrible BSD group and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. While I haven't considered this to be much more than pathetic in the past, it's really starting to become quite annoying. So please, before making rediculous statements like this, do a little research, look at the code, read the mailing lists, or whatever you prefer. Just stop acting like a 14 year old. -Mark P.S. Eric: While I greatly respect your work, and think you're doing a great job of promoting the benefits of free software, your continued lack of understanding WRT how the BSD community operates is becoming quite distressing. Trust me, we're a very proud and active community. Our only downfall is that we tend to be to busy using a BSD to evangelize it. This is changing however, and I can gaurantee you that the up and coming FreeBSD community will be undergoing a "coming out" of sorts in the months ahead that will surprise even you. We will never die. We will fight hard, and we will come out with our heads high. So please, stop putting us down and start helping us out. Free/Open software is good, and this upsetting trend in the Linux community that "Linux is the one - and can be the only alternative" is not doing the free community any good. > -- > <a href="http://sagan.earthspace.net/~esr">Eric S. Raymond</a> > > "Taking my gun away because I might shoot someone is like cutting my tongue > out because I might yell `Fire!' in a crowded theater." > -- Peter Venetoklis -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mark Mayo mark@vmunix.com RingZero Comp. http://www.vmunix.com/mark finger mark@vmunix.com for my PGP key and GCS code ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "The problem is how do you build tools that understand your programs at a deeper semantic level." - James Gosling To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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