Ingemar Nilsson wrote:
Perhaps their work would have gone into something less restricted and
helped people in many more ways like apache and java have.
Dream on. I think it is obvious that a lot of people like the GPL and its
effects. If it wouldn't be available, there is no guarantee that they would
end up with the BSDs instead. Actually, they probably wouldn't.
I realize it is impossible to know for sure about most of the
contributors because they don't have a choice - but in fact I'd guess
that a lot of the code now GPL'd came from work started under a BSD-ish
license. Once the GPL is applied there is no way back. In some cases
the GPL is applied to prevent competition against the author's product
which is also released under a commercial license so I guess that part
is better than no free release at all.
If someone gives you something that isn't what you want, how grateful
can you be?
If GPL software isn't what you want, what on earth are you doing on this
list?
I'm pragmatic... I put up with Microsoft and Apple's restrictions on
code I use from them and I put up with the GPL restrictions in the
places where GPL code is usable. That doesn't mean I 'want' any of
those restrictions.
and its code can't even be used to help improve those other OS's.
Spontaneously, I'd guess that some (or even many) of the developers of code
licensed under the GPL might not want their code to end up in Windows only
for the benefit of Microsoft.
It doesn't just benefit Microsoft. Working, tested, interoperable code
benefits everyone who uses it and everyone who interacts with it from
other systems. And in the *bsd case, the same code is available to
anyone else who wants to lower the bar to compete with Microsoft by
adding their own improvements or combining with existing products.
If they wouldn't mind, why did they choose
the GPL?
If you do anything with existing GPL code you don't have a choice about
your own contribution.
> That's right, they wanted the GPL and its effects.
Someone did. The rest are just being affected.
Who are you to demand that people relicense their code for free under some
unrestricted license such as the BSD license?
I'm not demanding anything - just pointing out the obvious.
--
Les Mikesell
lesmikesell@xxxxxxxxx
