is GPL3 a sign of the beast?

[Colin McGregor]

--- Zbigniew Koziol <softquake-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> Our freedoms is what concerns me most.
> 
> You say that Stallman will do things in the "right"
> way.
> 
> I am supposed to believe that. I would like to.
> 
> Are we not however on an edge?

Yes and no. Define free? For Stallman the answer is
free means you can get the source code and do what you
want with that source code, all other issues are
secondary (including cost, so Stallman doesn't object
to someone changing $$$ for a piece of code).

> If kernel development splits, I will go to Torvalds.
> The main reason I use 
> Linux is because I love freedom. 

Well, you seem to assume there must be just one
kernel, at the risk of starting an argument let me ask
(even through I don't want to hear answers):

- What is the best editor, vi or emacs?
- What is the best desktop, Gnome or KDE?
- Which is the best word processor, OpenOffice or
AbiWord?

and so on it goes. A year from now we MIGHT be asking:

- What is the best GPL'ed OS, GNU/Linux or Solaris?

Two years from now (after the destruction in lawsuits
of a certain firm) we MIGHT be asking:

- What is the best GPL'ed OS, GNU/Linux, Solaris, or
Novell/IBM/Red Hat/Autozone/DaimlerChrysler Unixware?

then sitting back and toasting marshmallows on the
resulting flame war :-) . Regardless, there can be
more than one legitimate answer to the question "What
is the best...".

My view is I am very happy where I am with GNU/Linux,
but if (BIG IF) someone comes up with something
better, I will consider switching...


Colin McGregor

> zb.
> 
> On Tuesday 13 February 2007 20:58, Colin McGregor
> wrote:
> > --- Zbigniew Koziol <softquake-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> > > Or, is Stallman going to sacrifice our freedom
> for
> > > support from Sun?
> > >
> > > A good introduction:
> > >
> > > 	http://blogs.zdnet.com/Burnette/?p=257
> > >
> > > zb.
> >
> > No, Stallman is going to stick to his guns and
> push
> > HARD for his vision on FREE software (free as in
> free
> > speech, not necessarily free as beer). Stallman
> will
> > play ball with anyone who meets his standards, be
> it
> > GNU/Linux or someone else...
> >
> > I attended a talk by Richard Stallman in 1989, and
> the
> > one thing that I really came away with was he
> missed
> > his calling as a religious prophet. In December
> 2006 I
> > exchanged e-mails with Stallman doing an interview
> for
> > the now dead Tux Magazine, and it seems he has not
> > changed in any signifigant degree in 17 years. For
> > Stallman there is his way, the right way and there
> is
> > total @#$% evil, with nothing in between.
> >
> > So, this isn't a betrayal for Stallman, he has
> always
> > been clear where he stood, and like him or hate
> him
> > (and I have mixed feelings, I think every field
> needs
> > one (but only one) serious ideologue, and Stallman
> > fits the bill for free software...).
> >
> > Colin McGregor
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