Or we could distribute both and hope that the resultant time/anti-time explosion is such that the universe is destroyed and we never have to bother worrying about such pointless, unproductive, made-up bullshit again in our lifetimes.... On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 10:34 AM, Jim Pryor <lists+arch-general@xxxxxxxxxxxx<lists%2Barch-general@xxxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote: > Wow, this thread got very hot very fast. I composed this about an hour > ago, when things were much cooler. But the questions still seem worth > raising. > > I understand Joerg's frustration about the burden of proof issue here, > and I also understand Allan's and Phrakture's reluctance, in the light of > our not having more solid evidence from disinterested parties. > Apparently Joerg has seen more such evidence, but is not in > a position to provide it. That's unfortunate, but understandable. > > People are getting alternately enthusiastic, and frustrated, and annoyed > with each other, but that seems to be about where this stands. > > Aren't there two questions here, though? > > 1. Should we distribute binaries of cdrtools? > 2. Should we distribute binaries of cdrkit? > > Setting 1 aside for the moment, it sounds to me---not based wholly on > this thread, but this thread exhausts my recent reading on the > issue---like there are possible legal issues with 2, and in fact it > sounds to me like the case for that is rather stronger than the case for > there being legal issues with 1. That impression survives even if the > case against cdrkit does all trace back to claims made by Joerg---which > I don't know to be so but which has been alleged here. > > There are technical reasons for thinking > cdrtools is much preferable to cdrkit; however that leaves it open > whether cdrkit is or isn't good enough for the needs that prompt us to > distribute a binary of either of these packages. > > As I said I do understand the reasons given for hesitating about > cdrtools. But it sounds to me like cdrkit survives equally careful > scrutiny less well. > > So why isn't the decision tree: > > be most cautious legally, and distribute neither > > be moderately cautious legally, in which case although it's not obvious > cdrtools is in the clear, the case against cdrkit seems stronger, so if > one is to be distributed it should be cdrtools > > trust other distros, and decide we're clear to distribute either, in > which case the technical merits again speak for cdrtools. > > > -- > Jim Pryor > jim@xxxxxxxxxxxx >
