Re: bias...

At 12:15 PM 6/4/2002, Marco Pietrobono wrote:

>  nobody is forced to use a *GPL codebase. 

The FSF has stated many times that it wants developers -- and
governments -- to be forced to use GPLed code, and has actually
been attempting to get this legislated in some countries.

Also, the presence of GPLed code, because it destroys markets
for commercial products, has led in many cases to a situation
in which one *is* forced to use it. There can be no financial 
reward for developing an alternative -- even a superior one --
because so long as the GPLed code is even marginally adequate
a sufficient number of customers will not buy a product for which 
they must pay. This is what is happening now with GCC. It is,
on most existing platforms and virtually all new architectures,
preventing the development of commercial compilers. And this
despite the fact that it is, at best, mediocre.

>If you don't want to play that game, you can always
>find another game to play.

In other words, we should allow the GPL to force programmers
to abandon their chosen profession? I don't know about you, but 
I don't believe that it is ethical or moral for the FSF to be able 
to dictate what people do for a living or to destroy their 
livelihoods due to one man's 20-year-old grudge.

--Brett Glass