Re: Economics and the GPL

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.
>
Is this so called "software hording and E&E"  where the source code is 
available to the end user, or for a programmer to study, the same as 
when the source is not available?

OK what have I missed out on here? The agenda for the GPL is simple. To 
make source code available to everyone.  (and keep it that way) Maybe 
I'm truly dense but  isn't hording when you hide something away or is it 
anytime you collect somthing.  

As far as E&E maybe I missed something there as well but I fail to 
understand where an entity that used the GPL  license has done this?

>
>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? 
>
GPL does not "horde code" by my definition of horde,  nor do know of any 
cases E&E.  Also I don't think anyone but their shareholders, would have 
a problem with Microsoft if they were releasing their source code.  


Tony Lambregts