No, I still think GPL is Free-er than BSD except for that single caveat. So I want to release any software I might develop under a modified GNU like license which allows development and distribution of closed source software as long as it is separated cleanly-enough from my software (eg. if it uses the library only through it's public interface).
I would be interested to know how you find it Free'er when you are looking for a loophole which will make it less Free. ;)
The fact that THE GNU GPL does not include such a clause makes me wonder if there is a loophole I'm missing.
:) So it is a loophole in the licence that you are looking for. And you are complaining because there aren't any?
The only bad thing I see about such a license is that it would also promote (in addition to free software) closed source software to be developed. But then Free Software is about community building and not killing other communities.
It is important to consider whose freedom you are talking about - you as the developer, or the community who uses the software?
GPL restricts your freedom as a closed source developer, all right, but the aim is to safeguard the community's interest.
The software that you want to use has been developed by (almost) self-less contribution from others - and these developers dont feel it worthwhile to help people who dont feel the same.
Basically, people who develop GPL'ed software have no interest in "promoting" closed source software. Why do you think this attitude is "killing" the closed source community?
How does closed source software help the software community? Closed source software is all about self-interest. You dont want others to profit from your software and so you keep it closed source. GPL'ed software is all about building software that everybody has access to so that everybody can profit from it. These two philosophies are antithesis of each other. How can you disagree fundamentally with the other philosophy and at the same time criticize it because it is not helping you?
- Sandip
-- Sandip Bhattacharya sandip (at) puroga.com Puroga Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Work: http://www.puroga.com Home: http://www.sandipb.net
GPG: 51A4 6C57 4BC6 8C82 6A65 AE78 B1A1 2280 A129 0FF3
_______________________________________________ ilugd mailinglist -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd Archives at: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.user-groups.linux.delhi http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
