Re: [tlug] Bill Gates and the GPL , let the flames begin

[Attila Kinali <attila@example.com>]

Salve!

On Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:07:49 -0700
"SL Baur" <steve@example.com> wrote:

> On 4/26/08, Attila Kinali <attila@example.com> wrote:
> > I usualy decide on the basis whether i care whether
> >  some company uses the code without being forced
> >  to give something back:
> >
> >  Yes, i care: GPLv2 (w/o update clause)
> >  No, i don't care: BSD (2 or 3 clause)
> >
> >  Anything else just leads to the problems you mentioned.
> 
> That's somewhat short sighted, though I am biased towards wanting mods
> returned to the community.

Even after reading your mail, i don't understand why
you think that this two-point-decision-matrix is short
sighted.

Whether i do license what i write in BSD or GPL doesn't
limit its usefullness. It just limits what companies
are legally allowed to do with it.

<sidenote>
What companies actually do is another question. News of GPL
violations of code i've contributed to comes in like send
by a cron job.

Heck! I even work for a company that, because of their ignorance
of the license terms, violates the GPL licenses of a dozen
projects. And no, it's not a chinese company.
</sidenote>
 
> The GPL has been good to me.  I have been working in a Fortune 50 company
> for over a year now and when you search on my name in the internal internet
> search engine, my name has a huge number of hits for work I've done under
> the GPL from before I started work there.

I think the number of jobs i got because i do OSS in some form
or other is larger than those i've gotten because i have a masters
degree in EE. http://www.google.com/search?q=attila+kinali is enough
to impress most non-OSS people :-)


> Point:  I'm the only person in my group who uses Linux on the desktop, etc.   At
> first, my boss wanted me to do stuff on Microsoft WIndows XP like the rest.  I
> held out on that as long as I could and the two Microsoft Windows machines
> assigned to me now run Linux and I have the boss's full blessing.

Same here.. though i need a windows box for layouting and mail,
but my linux box is my primary work horse.
 
> Point:  I've always done this sort of thing.  I have no interest in
> pursuing riches.
> I want to support my family, make sure there's bread on the table, beer in the
> fridge, etc.  It's doable.

I value a good life a lot over money. Though that doesn't mean
i don't want to be rich ;-) But, if a company takes my code and
makes money out of it, i'd like to see some form of compensation
for it. And the one i like the best is improvements of code.
(Mostly because i don't like to write code :-)

> I'm every bit as much of as an opinionated asshole as RMS, we just use
> different methods to achieve our goals.  I like working within organizations
> under their own rules and fixing things.

Same here, just that i like workring within organizations and change
their rules to my liking.
 
> Can you see how from my point of view, anything that gets your name widely
> spread whether it be GPL licensed, or BSD licensed cannot be anything but a
> good thing either for yourself or those who benefit from your software?

Yes, absolutely.
 
> We're in a hybrid world, software development-wise and we'll always be.  There
> are certain systems that cannot be open sourced and will always need skilled
> persons to do.  Always.[1]  Where you draw the line is what will make or break
> everything.  O/S design has been firmly established to be better on the side of
> open standards, Open Source and that has been the case for a long time now.

I'd actualy put it the other way round, there are certain
things that cannot be done in OSS, but need a company that
writes comercial software.

			Attila Kinali

-- 
Praised are the Fountains of Shelieth, the silver harp of the waters,
But blest in my name forever this stream that stanched my thirst!
                         -- Deed of Morred