Re: [ql-users] GPL or not GPL, that is the question

[Dave P]

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

> Agreed, but the problem is that if someone converted Peter's work to  run
> under SMSQ/e and it does involve changes to the operating system.   Why?  Because
> the GPL says that any future changes must also be released  under the GPL
> licence terms (or so I understand).

Which touches on the biggest problem for the GPL and SMSQ/E. Under the
current arrangement there is a single publisher, who can enforce some
modicum of quality assurance and consistency/compatibility. Under a GPL
license, anyone can be a publisher and there is no way to force
compatibility for different versions, or prevent code forks that would
ultimately be disruptive in an already small community.

I was pro-GPL earlier, but now I see the license in operation, I can see
what it is trying to protect.

Dave