--- "Baudouin, Andrew" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I think mindsets like RMS's and yours are terribly > wrong. It's nice to have > a free software ideal, and believe that software > should be free, but until > the cost of living for programmers becomes $0 it > just isn't realistic.
That's why it's called an ideal. Personally, I don't know any GPL programmers that carry signs that say: "WILL CODE FOR FOOD". Most get along just fine, and aren't wacknut crazy anarchists. Hmm. I thought you understood how free and open-source software gets developed and shared, but now I realize I was mistaken. Read Matthew 14:20 again, but now imagine that the loaves and fishes aren't appearing by magic. > You > guys are simply blind to the fact that most > meaningful contributions to > Linux are made on the paid dollar and if it were for > hobbyists we'd still be > at exactly where the GNU Mach/Hurd kernels are right > now, 0% market share. Proof goes much farther than assumptions. Please _think_ about and then explain why IBM, et.al., are contributing to the Linux kernel. BTW, this means they are "giving away" programming, hence labor and $, since the kernel is GPL. Why? Is it some plot to undermine Microsoft? Are they simply goofy in the head? Last I checked, IBM was still driven by capitalist principles, and quite profitable, yet they have no problem with the free software "ideal". Maybe they know something you don't? > (Put that in your pipe and smoke it). My, my. Are we forgetting our manners? > I would go > further and say that until > there are standards, 1 standard distribution of > GNU/Linux (free or not free, It is interesting that you call for a single distribution and then use the word "free" in the same sentence. Think about that. Hint: "free" means freedom, not "free" as in beer. > it doesn't matter to the users) then it will not > have the success it is > looking for. Please, explain to us, what success "it" is looking for. To use an analogy: Was the soup in the story "Stone Soup" (http://www.stonesoup.com/main2/StoneSoup.html) looking to be eaten? Were the people contributing to the soup insisting that everyone eat it? Do you think it is possible that you might misunderstand what free and open source software is about? > When a user gets introduced to Linux he > sees 1000000 > distributions and it's like "Where do I go from > here" So what if some less curious computer users stick with Windows? Bill G. has gotta eat too. The world will not end. > Please forgive me for falling in love with my high > school sweetheart, > marrying her, and having the ability to raise a > beautiful son in close > proximity to his grandparents and having a loving > center of support all > around us. Forgive me for not having useless ideals > that cause me to hop > around $8/hr LAMP jobs. Forgive me for taking a > great paying Microsoft > development job that allowed me to buy a nice house > in Shenandoah Estates at > the age of 23. Ai-yi-yi. I think you need to back away from the keyboard, slowly. You are having an ethical crisis over FREE SOFTWARE, for goodness sake. I use both free and non-free software for both work and play, yet I experience no moral dilemma over it. Maybe you should put your money where your mouth is: Promise to _never_ take a job working with free and open source technology, since it is so "wrong". Bill G. will _love_ you for it. Heck, you could even tattoo "Microserf" on your forehead. > "blah ... Carmack ... blah" *gains points for mentioning Carmack* > It's all about the Benjamins baby! *loses points for using an overworn cliche* So one case is all you need for proof? I'll see your Carmack and raise you a Berners-Lee. > I don't delude myself into thinking my mom > should switch over to > it because "software deserves to be free" or some > such BS. You are free to say such things, while others are free to "waste their time" giving away source code. Will you deny them their freedom? I will use my freedom to say this: you are not winning admirers or friends here by the "logical elegance" of your arguments. What I get mostly from your emails is that you are convinced that you are right, and that others with differing opinions are simply wrong, with ideals that are "BS". How old are you, Andrew? I assume you are young, for obvious reasons. Let me tell you something that I have learned: The world is bigger than you think right now. John __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail
