Questions that need answering [LWN.net]

Questions that need answering

Posted Dec 6, 2006 19:04 UTC (Wed) by NigelK (guest, #42083)
In reply to: Questions that need answering by pizza
Parent article: Of hypocrisy and the FSF (Libervis)

With the FSF actively trying to reshape the FLOSS community in their own image (to the point of saying that "open software" is dead), and with Groklaw becoming an FSF mouthpiece (to the point of berating coders of high-profile projects because they don't share her beliefs - first it was the Linux kernel devs, now it's the OpenOffice devs [didn't you know Sun backs Novell's OOo efforts?], who knows who's going to be targeted next), I think the time has come to closely examine what the FSF and Groklaw's Jones have done and ask questions as to why they were done that way.

FLOSS is based on the many-eyeballs principle - let's point a few at the FSF and Groklaw. Having faith in them "doing the right thing" isn't going to be enough.

Nigel Kneale.

(Log in to post comments)

Questions that need answering

Posted Dec 6, 2006 19:27 UTC (Wed) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link]

And you are proposing to do this by exposing developers to treble damages and by spending a lot of money for useless quest ?

Sorry - it's pretty bad approach IMNSHO...

Yes, U.S. has totally screwed up laws as far as software patents are concerned - that does not mean you can ignore them in your quest to "closely examine" something... And if you don't understand these laws (and you showed that you don't understand them) then probably it's not a good idea for you to "closely examine" any body's legal work at all.

Questions that need answering

Posted Dec 6, 2006 20:38 UTC (Wed) by jstAusr (guest, #27224) [Link]

The FSF hasn't changed its goals ever, as far as I know, it has always been about the four freedoms. Their approach to enforcement of copyright has proven to be sound. Software patents are a very ugly problem and patents in general have become a problem in other industries. The patent problem should be fixed at the administrative level, FSF doesn't have the authority to do that. However, the FSF is very vocal about the software patent problem. If you have a few million extra dollars you might be able to help out with one of the more clear cut and simple patent cases, if you have tens of millions you might be able to help out a little more but not much. Would you care to help?

Questions that need answering

Posted Dec 6, 2006 21:21 UTC (Wed) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]

I like your phrasing. `Targeted', oh yeah, because as everyone knows as
soon as PJ criticises a project, all its developers and users desert it
and it immediately collapses.

As happened with that ex-project, the Linux kernel (everyone switched en
masse to DragonflyBSD, don't you know).

(sheesh.)