On Thursday 22 March 2007 07:25, Peter Van Lone wrote:
> M. Harrish, I respect many of the things you say and your
> participation on the list -- <snip>
> but I believe that your approach to this issue is wrong and more
> harmful to OSS than otherwise.
I respect your opinion Peter.
... and sorry Pat, this thread is on-topic,
... it is essential to differentiate two important camps within the
F/OSS
community. There are those who champion open source software. There are also
those who champion free (as in freedom) software... like myself, and like the
FSF. The two are related, but the two are vastly different in terms of
motivation and affiliation.
The M$-Novell deal might be good in the short term for OSS, and maybe
even
for Novell... but the M$-Novell deal is detrimental to free (as in freedom)
software. I could care less about interoperability--- doesn't affect me. The
question is not whether a piece of software is open source or not... the
question is also not whether some IT manager has to hassle with Linux being
able to work seamlessly with the knot-headed M$ product line... the real
question is whether software is free, and whether software users have
freedom--- freedom of choice and freedom useage.
M$ has strategically targeted freedom, and she is going to leverage
Novell
against that agenda. This is not just about embrace, extend, extinguish----
sad to say. This issue goes way beyond that this time around... the goal is
to destroy freedom... this is something against which the FSF has devoted
many hard long hours to fight.... and is still faithful to fight for. This
is not religious zeal... its about choice and propriety--- freedom of
expression, and freedom of extention, and freedom of innovation.
Linus may not be on a crusade... but the FSF is. Novell isn't on a
crusade
either... they're just dressed out to make a buck like everyone else. The
FSF is on a crusade--- and the crusaders are not fighting windmills. OSS
will not be hurt in the slightest at this point. OSS has finally hit
critical mass--- there is no stopping that now. However, freedom is still
very much hanging in the balance. The GPLv3 is not perfect, but it is
closing in on the real issues, and it *is* going to make a difference.
Computer systems should be free tools... not owned/controlled by Ballmer &
Gates.
Unfortunately for Novell most of the Linux community have viewed the
sleeping
arrangements between Novell and M$ as detrimental to freedom and as harmful
to the free software movement. Fortunately for the community it doesn't
really matter... because we are never again going to be left without a free
software choice. In the final analysis the dudes left standing at half past
noon when the dust clears at the OK corral are going to be the dudes that
supported freedom.
--
Kind regards,
M Harris <><
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