I actually can understand your frustration and that what you are calling for is really reasonable. I am sure every one of us here benefited from GNU's efforts for free software (free as in both freedom and $). We are not trying to deny or forget that fact. Your call to the name GNU/Linux is to let more people recognize the contributions and may it have a domino effect to get more people involve, am I right?
However, I am a bit turned off by the way FSF pushes free and open-source software. It seems that to them, if anyone doesn't agree to the FSF idealogy, he/she should not be using FOSS. Hence the need for FSF to call for the use of GNU to be added to Linux is seen as rather authoritarian where GPL is only one of many types of licenses. So should Linux only be about GPL or accommodating others as well? I am not in any position to comment whether this should be the case. Personally, I am more inclined towards Apache Licensing model but I support GPL all the same. My wish is simple. Hopefully the leaders of the FOSS movement can sit down and address several issues: 1) Do we need so many licensing distributions? Should we adopt a generic license whereby business can work on? Seriously, we may hate the way money is profited using software like in M$ case, but we really have to rely on businesses to push through the technological boundary and into the consumer territory. 2) Can we have a name which everyone recognizes as different from the usual fare we had last century? On a second level, do we need to fix a name? Maybe letting nature takes its course is not a bad idea. Linux is just an example and may not be the definitive one. Ultimately, a compromise has to be made (or a vote but that is simply logistically not feasible). Just maybe we use Linux as the marketing name for the platform (though technically it is the kernel). Then for individual applications residing on the platform, we append the name GNU (or the license name). Sorry for the long post but I don't wish Yongxian to feel that we are attacking him instead of having a discussion. James -----Original Message----- From: Lam YongXian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: [email protected] Sent: Mon, 18 Jun 2007 2:49 pm Subject: Re: [Slugnet] Should we start calling this OS GNU/Linux? My apology then. I should have added 'help' in front of 'bring this? system and the community through this new threat arise since Microsoft? FUD extortion'.? ? For James' post I have addressed it earlier on, so I would do it? anymore. Its really not about whether we know it or not. It is about? the amount of misconception it can cause, basically in terms of social? psychology. Just like how corporations marketing? partial/hardly-open-source products under the 'Open Source' banner.? ? Anyway, I appreciate your understanding. Thanks.? ? > Hi,? >? > I understand the reasons behind your drive to get everyone call Linux? > GNU/Linux. It's an argument made over and over again over the years and yet? > remain a stalemate. This is the reason why most of the guys here actually? > just stick to Linux for the reasons stated by James in the earlier post in? > this thread. Choosing to call it Linux even if we understand the GNU? > philosophy is a matter of choice and it's a personal freedom doing so. The? > naming probably matter more to those who strongly believe in the GNU? > philosophy than those who don't, and there are probably quite a lot of? > people who uses GNU software who don't really believe in the whole GNU? > idealogy.? >? > As for my previous assumption, it's deduced from the post you made about? > using the GNU name to "bring this system and the community through this new? > threat arise since Microsoft FUD extortion". If I misunderstood your point,? > I humbly apologise.? >? > XP? >? ? -- Lam YongXian? Adolflam.com? ? FSF Member #5279? ? Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments.? See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html? ? _______________________________________________? Slugnet mailing list? [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.lugs.org.sg/mailman/listinfo/slugnet? ________________________________________________________________________ Check Out the new free AIM(R) Mail -- 2 GB of storage and industry-leading spam and email virus protection.
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