The article linked below is titled "Why I 'Absolutely Love' GPL Version 2" --- and the interview is why I absolutely love Linus Torvalds.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20070320/tc_cmp/198002077 I have long been troubled by some aspects of the angst and anger around Novell when they first purchased Suse, and especially since the fateful "Novell/Microsoft" deal. It just seems to me that there is a kind of religious intensity that is out of place -- the world is destined to have both F/OSS and proprietary (closed source) software. There has to be a mechanism for allowing these two approaches to software development and licensing, to co-exist peacefully. To "interoperate" to all of our advantage. Personally, I want the influence of linux to grow, and that of Microsoft to diminish. I want to see linux become the predominate (or, most influential) desktop OS. I believe that in order to become an order of magnatude more influential than it is currently (especially on the desktop) that it will have to penetrate both the corp and home user worlds. This won't happen without some changes --- changes that are resisted by stallwarts "in the community". I understand the outrage of the FSF people concerning what they see as Novell essentially "giving into" greivous thuggary in the form of Microsoft's patent and other bullying. Richard Stallman and Bruce Perens (both titans and honorable people) are emphatic in their belief that proprietary software and software patents are .... just wrong headed and ... plain wrong. But while I "get" the Cathedral and the Bazarre and I accept that for many projects and in many ways, an OPEN model of development is just better and makes more sense ... while I "get that", I also accept and understand that proprietary software itself is not "evil". I have never been able to accept "true believers and beliefs" in anything. I think everything, --- and particularly things like commerce and trading and human organizations and belief systems and governments and legal systems and contracts and .... --- are necessarily colored in shades of grey. And I also -- though this is harder to swallow and even to say -- don't think that Microsoft itself is "evil". I think, often wrong. Often, bad for the industry. Often (and never really punished) illegal and immoral in it's conduct. But they are also dominant in the marketplace, and we need to do business with them. This is NOT a battle of Good VS Evil. This is NOT the living explication of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It just is not. Personally, as to Novell's deal with Microsoft, I think it was "a first". And therefore awkward and not ... ideal. And, likely, needed to happen in some guise at some time. Can Microsoft "be trusted"? Well ... no, not if you mean by "trust" that Microsoft will abandon it's plans to subvert linux and F/OSS in general. But on the other hand, does the agreement actually acomplish ANYTHING, other than communicate "safety" to corporate accounts? I don't think so. It is not a legal precedent that can effectively be used. The most that can be said is that it gave Ballmer a stage upon which to howl. So ... I am waiting to hear more voices like Linus Torvalds, who wants to keep away from the labels of "evil", the "true believing" mantras that seem to hold sway as the main voices from "the community" right now. I respect and admire the principles and passions of the community. I just also happen to believe, that "pure" F/OSS can co-exist with proprietary software and companies. And, actually, I believe that for linux to penetrate even deeper into the corp world (especially in the desktop) that alliances like the Novell/Microsoft alliance will be key. I think the real tragedy, should it occur, is for the GPL 3 to compel a split in linux ... or to effectively kill Suse linux. It think that would be horrid, and a mistake, and ... would do great great harm to F/OSS in the long run. I am hoping that cooler heads prevail. I am hoping that Novell figures out how to approach the FSF folks to begin a dialogue, and that the parties find a way to agree where they can and continue on, disagreeing where they must. I am hoping that there are strong voices from amongst the Suse community that will reach out and counsel and encourage sane and reasonable behaviour. I am hoping we can end the crusade, and begin the rennaisance. Just my opinions and hopes. Peter -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
