Comments below. -- Bhaskar
On Wed, 2004-11-17 at 18:28, Jim Self wrote: > I greatly enjoy Bhaskar's analogies and generally find them illuminating. I > think his > comparison of the development and maintenance of large software systems to > that of cities > is especially insightful. > > Visualization of ideas as property is deeply disturbing to me. I see the > space in my mind > as a great land in the process of being covered with barbed wire and other > fences intended > to keep me from thinking freely and clearly. However, I have long understood > that ideas > are specifically not patentable. This seems to be confirmed by what I read in > http://www.bitlaw.com/patent/requirements.html [KSB] Agreed. I should have been clearer. A pure idea cannot be patented, but an idea reduced to practice is patentable. Let me refine my analogy by replacing "idea" with "idea reduced to practice". Regarding patents: the patent office is supposed to ensure appropriate standards of non-triviality, originality and non-obviousness. As a practical matter, however, in recent years, a US Patent Office that is clearly overworked and underfunded has awarded a number of unconscionable patents. Although as the holder of several patents (including one of the very first software patents), I should be in favor of them, I have lately come to the conclusion that patents, and especially software patents, have outlived their usefulness and are now an obstacle to progress. Since patents grant ownership of ideas (you have to reduce an idea to practice to call it a patent, but once a patent is granted, you have a monopoly on all past, present and future implementations of that idea for the duration of the patent), we in these United States are heading down a slippery slope of that great land of the human mind (and body - considering some of the unconscionable patents awarded) becoming covered with barbed wire and fences. Europe, unfortunately, seeks to emulate us in this regard... > I think that the term viral is an inappropriate and misleading descriptor for > Free > Software that only makes sense from a Microsoft-centric view of the world. > The GPL seems > most appropriately thought of as an anti-viral innoculation intended to > protect the > investment of software developers in Free software from loss due to > Microsoft-style > embrace and destroy. > > Here are two links that came up from Google when I searched for "gnu gpl free > software viral": > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_General_Public_License > http://members.optushome.com.au/brendanscott/papers/freesoftwaretco150702.html [KSB] I agree that the term viral as applied to OSFS licenses was an unfortunate choice of words, originally made by those who wanted to denigrate these licenses. But those are the terms many in the industry use. Since I think we argee on "viral" vs "non-viral" as distinguishing characteristics of OSFS licenses, perhaps we should seek better words? Suggestions are welcome. Indeed, how about "virile" (according to one Wordnet definition, "characterized by energy and vigor") and "non-virile"? *************************************************************************** This electronic mail transmission contains confidential and/or privileged information intended only for the person(s) named. Any use, distribution, copying or disclosure by another person is strictly prohibited. *************************************************************************** NOTE: Ce courriel est destine exclusivement au(x) destinataire(s) mentionne(s) ci-dessus et peut contenir de l'information privilegiee, confidentielle et/ou dispensee de divulgation aux termes des lois applicables. Si vous avez recu ce message par erreur, ou s'il ne vous est pas destine, veuillez le mentionner immediatement a l'expediteur et effacer ce courriel. ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: InterSystems CACHE FREE OODBMS DOWNLOAD - A multidimensional database that combines robust object and relational technologies, making it a perfect match for Java, C++,COM, XML, ODBC and JDBC. www.intersystems.com/match8 _______________________________________________ Hardhats-members mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members
