Re: [tlug] Yes! Another argument about the GPL! You knew you wanted it....

[Lars Kotthoff <lists@example.com>]

> I suppose it could be that you have done so as well, but if that's the
> case you believe one of two things:

I hope so, although I probably did a bad job in bringing that across.

>     1. That very few additional developers would extend GPL'd software
>     if it were not GPL'd. I disagree; that people rewrite entire
>     packages from scratch in order to avoid the GPL is evidence that
>     there's powerful demand for some of the software out there that is
>     GPL'd.

No.

>     2. That vast numbers of developers are contributing back to GPL'd
>     code bases solely because the GPL forces them to, and they would
>     withhold their changes if they could. I also disagree with this,
>     both because we have ample evidence that non-GPL'd products get
>     plenty of contributions, and because it often would be more
>     expensive for companies to hold back contributions than to give them
>     away.

Not vast numbers of developers, but at least some. The difficult bit is
admittedly figuring out how many this actually are, especially because if
someone is not contributing back for whatever reason, you'll usually never hear
about it.

Lars