<quote who="Bret Comstock Waldow"> > Linux came in on the GPL Free Software side - not the Open Source side - > that's the philosophy and the license chosen. Linus was not bamboozled > into this - he's smart and made his choice consciously - and he chose Free > Software. He's the founder and the copyright holder - perhaps we know his > philosophy about Linux from this?
So, you're a little confused by what all of these things mean, and the motivations of the people involved, and you're trying to apply them to the current discussion in a philosophical manner which really doesn't fit. Linus is a very pragmatic guy. The GPL did what he wanted. He's not exactly the biggest defender of the FSF/RMS moral angle of Free Software. His bio is called "Just for Fun", because that's what he cares about. All of this is on the record, well-known stuff. So how does this apply to SLUG and the accusations of 'censorship' and so on? I don't think it does. Historically, SLUG members and participants (at least those who actually go to SLUG meetings) have held the moral values of Free Software high, but regarded Free Software and Open Source to be two sides of the same coin. While this is important stuff, I don't think it has any relevance to any "please just be nice" guidelines for our mailing lists. The discussion we've had so far went like this: * RTFM * Please don't use that term, it's inappropriate * It is not inappropriate * Yes, it is, and here's why: [...] * <meltdown> This isn't censorship. There haven't been (many) personal attacks until much later in the thread. This isn't fascism. If people can't accept behavioural standards in a group like this (especially after arguing about it and having to hear other people supporting it), perhaps they should find another group. - Jeff -- GUADEC 2006: Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain http://2006.guadec.org/ "Oh my god, if I get killed, Meryl Streep will get an award playing my life and I would be really pissed off." - Susan Sarandon -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
