Certifiable

Certifiable

Posted Jan 29, 2007 23:07 UTC (Mon) by GreyWizard (guest, #1026)
In reply to: Possible routes to kernel on GPLv3 by vonbrand
Parent article: GPL 3: An Open-Source Earthquake? (CRN)

Many things (glassware, candles, ladders, power tools) that might maim or kill someone if carelessly handled, yet I am allowed to own and even modify them if I comply with regulations myself. So I'm afraid I can't share your enthusiasm for a world where I am denied as many choices as technologically possible in the name of safety. I would rather assume responsibility for my own actions and live in a free society.

Also you are mistaken about the "four freedoms" enumerated by the FSF. Number one is "the freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs." To do that I must be able to run modified software on the devices I actually own unless we suppose I have unlimited resources. Releasing software under a license that ensures this freedom more strictly than GPLv2 might not change the world but it seems worth trying -- after all the same thing was said about GPLv2 once.

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