Re: [tlug] Free versus open: a rant [was some thread aboutVoIP/GnomeMeeting]

[Botond Botyanszki <tlug@example.com>]

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 19:27:14 +0900
"Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com> wrote:

>     Botond> and in GnomeMeeting you surely can choose what codec you
>     Botond> want to use (yes, there are alternatives).
> 
> Shawn says the opposite.  And posts an URL.  URL, please.
Let's not argue, I use gnomemeeting to talk to my family (they use
netmeeting) without the use of the patented algorithm and the quicknet
card. 
If you look at the URL, it says:
" I want to make PC-to-Phone Calls, how do I get started?
   * Step 1: Purchase Quicknet hardware at http://www.linuxjack.com. "

But this doesn't say that PC-to-PC calls are dependent on the card.

>    Botond> There are many other libraries and progs that can use
>    Botond> patented algorithms (I'm sure you are using openssl
>    Botond> too...)
> I make my own choices; I use patented/otherwise proprietary stuff
> whenever it suits me (or the blithering idiots I work for). 
So if you don't like the fact that G.723.1 is dependent on the hardware
then don't use it. You can make your choices, the only limitation here is
with the PC-to-Phone calls. You would need to pay a subscribtion fee to a
service provider anyway even if the codec was free and not patented.

>     Botond> Because and additional patented codec is available if you
>     Botond> pay money (for the hardware or the impl), this doesn't
>     Botond> make it any worse IMHO.
> 
> Good for you!  However, rms, the FSF, and _the GNU Project_ _do_ think
> that makes it worse.  rms has compared purchasing proprietary software
> to selling yourself into slavery![1]
Let's not start the RMS discussion.

In a sense I was a bit pissed too when I first saw the Quciknet service
subscription as an option in the GnomeMeeting setup. But it did not say
that "press exit unless you want to buy our card" and I'm damn happy that
I don't have to use windoze to talk to friends and family who only have
netmeeting.

AFAIK, there is substantial financial support behind the gnomemeeting and
openh323 development and of course they need to earn a living and get the
investment back, so I somewhat understand it. Since gnomemeeting is under
the GPL, you (or RMS) can make your own version and rip out the
advertisement.
BTW, there was a discussion on the debian lists a while ago on various
other programs that had an advirtisement in them, like the reiserfs tools,
and it was removed.
See http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=152547