David Hjortsoe wrote:
> Hi,
> > I'm more than welcome to accomidate you,
> > and Zend, so we can get these issues resolved instead of having
> > these constant bad feelings.
> As I wrote in my last email, what are those issues -- it would be nice
> to have them outlined in a comprehensible manner instead of, as now,
> they being implicitly refered to in various snide comments.
What I would like to know, (even though I've been trying to play it cool
since my MySQL rant, and getting into it with Zend and sas a bit back...)
1. If the relationship between Zend Tech and PHP becomes irreconcilable,
can PHP and Zend fork and/or recover in some other means? Is there an
'escape plan', or is this a death-spiral, where degrading communications
could actually kill one or both?
2. If all of the current PHP and Zend core developers die in a fire at
a convention, can the codebase continue, or will the ZE possibly become the
property of somebody who could demand $1,500 (USD) per server for licensing,
and lock down the source, thus killing PHP and Zend?
3. Is the Zend license preventing useful submissions from people who
write damn good code, but are FSF believers/zealots, so they refuse to
contribute, because it doesn't have the RMS seal of approval?
4. If an alternate engine was written, would it be possible to use
with PHP? Could an engine be written from Zend code, or would it
have to be clean-room code, and if so, from what version of PHP?
5. If, say, Microsoft beats Zeev and Andi in a Redmond basement for
three weeks, until they sign away all rights with bloody, mangled
hands, can PHP go forward, or does it have to back up? (See the
tim robbins "antitrust" movie... he becomes a software giant through
artful purchasing, and the occasional assasination...)
6. If a core member goes insane, can they damage PHP without
being held in check somehow? If half the core dies, is it distributed
enough that the other half can continue?
Core to the license debate:
7. Can the Q license currently used be adapted to meet the needs/fears
of GPL/BSD and similar folks, without compromising the Zend Tech needs
for having a saleable product? (there's quite a few licenses out there...)
from what I understand, Stallman's complaint are the credits clauses,
others are worried about selling closed source (ironically, isn't a
Zend package designed specifically for this pupose?)....
Core to the debate debate:
8. Do some people just need to shoot off some steam, and accomodate
others who do? I get 1000+ emails a day, this is nothing in comparison.
Of course, I also go days without reading certain lists, which helps.
:-)
Rasmus, Zeev and Andi are not eternal, neither is PHP or Zend. Planning
now, however, makes the future easier. Some folks live in volatile parts
of the world about to go to war, :-) , some do not. Some take "breathers"
when they are angered, some do not. So I'm interested in how PHP survives
everything from worst case to best case... it seems bulletproof, in code
terms, because the Q license allows at least one form of forking, if not
several.
Having now re-read the Q license a few times, the PHP license a few
times, this seems unrelated to licensing, and more related to
"mindshare" or the power fluctuations of a given group, or
reactionary impulse to Zend being part commercial, part free. Even
in worst case, PHP could recover in months to a year or so, with the
hardest part being the social damage of bitter debate, or a focus
entirely on an engine rewrite.
I dunno. ANy lawyers on the list?
Anyways, I'm off to go play in the SF bay now. Have fun, folks!
-Bop
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