Re: Economics and the GPL

At 05:30 PM 6/19/02 -0400, Deven T. Corzine wrote:
>On Wed, 19 Jun 2002, Roland wrote:
>
> > At 02:45 PM 6/19/02 -0400, Deven T. Corzine wrote:
> > > > That's one way of looking at it.  Another is that it is using the 
> tools of
> > > > oppression against the oppressor.
> > >
> > >But are you on a higher moral ground if you act like those you despise?
> >
> > He is not acting like those who he despises, he is merely using their
> > tools. Sounds fair to me.
>
>He's not?  Hmm...  Software hoarding?  Check.  Embrace and extend?  Check.

Unlike proprietary software, GPLed software is free for everyone to use for 
no charge. Plus you have the source to adapt/modify/improve. Usually open 
source software will use open/official standards(for file-formats etc...) 
so it enables everyone to participate...

So I see a lot of differences between proprietary and GPL.

>I thought Microsoft and others were supposedly bad *because* they did these
>things, not only because they don't distribute source?
>
>I guess the question is, do the ends justify the means?

Hmm, I think this question is really a bit off topic now :) (Due to its 
generality)

Roland