Re: GMail is using Hspell!

=E1=F9=E1=FA, 11 =E1=EE=F8=F5 2006, 21:20, =F0=EB=FA=E1 =F2=EC =E9=E3=E9 =
Nadav Har'El:
> Of course, this also raises a bunch of moral and philosophical issues:
> whether Google should have acknowledged their use of Hspell on their si=
te
> (I can't find any such thing), or whether they should have at least
> acknowledged it to me (they didn't... I only know that they use Hspell
> because of certain "decoy" words that Hspell contains).
> It also raises again the interesting question of how should the GPL be
> changed in (if at all) in a world where proprietary Internet services l=
ike
> GMail replace proprietary software as "the enemy" that the GPL was tryi=
ng
> to "battle". Many people still don't understand enough, or don't
> appreciate, the significance of this question, which the GPL 3 is start=
ing
> to address (in a certain way, which I still don't know if is the correc=
t
> way).
Lets make this clear:
I don't like Google. I believe that they are getting way too big, and way=
 too=20
fast. Unlike Microsoft which dislikes FOSS, Google like them and helps as=
=20
much as it can. I fear the day that we realize that we are depending on t=
hem.

Nadav, HSpell is GPL V2. Let me quote from that license:

"Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not
covered by this License; they are outside its scope.  The act of
running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program
is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the
Program (independent of having been made by running the Program).
Whether that is true depends on what the Program does."

As much as I can understand (IANAL), this means that there is no restrict=
ion=20
(at all) on how do you use the application. Google are using hspell=20
internally, and they are not even distributing it (only it's output). Thi=
s is=20
perfectly in no contradiction to the GPL.

If you don't like Google (or anyone else) using HSpell: don't license the=
=20
application as GPL. Otherwise, just just up and enjoy the fruits of your=20
work :)

Again, my humble opinion:
GPL3 - niet
Google - niet
HSpell - DA!
niet, niet dah!

(Laser beans running linux kick ass)

btw,=20
you talked about "decoy" words. Can you elaborate about that?



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