Re: ANN: Lush 2.0 beta release

Yann

> We actually got persmission from all the people we could think of.
> 
> We think a lot more people would use Lush in industrial contexts
> if we switched to the LGPL.
> 
> We knew you contributed to the documentation, which is really not
> affected by the license, but I guess we overlooked your contributions
> to the code.
> 
> Would you give your permission for the switch, as far as your
> contributions are concerned?  If not, we will just take out your
> contributions, but that would be a shame.

I have no problem with giving permission. Although, it would have been an idea
to post this proposed change in a transparent manner on the list, I believe.
Unfortunately I think it is impossible to convert from GPL to LGPL without
full permission of all parties that ever contributed. GPL is sort of a one-way 
license on this.

FYI, all the documentation was under GPL, there was no other license.
So that too has been converted to LGPL in this case.

In the past when I brought up the possibility of changing the license
for the docs, Leon pointed out that it would be pretty hard to determine
who had actually contributed and get permission. So it was to be left
as it was. I don't imagine it has gotten easier to locate contributors since
the time of my asking.

In any event, my point is just that this seems to be getting a little ahead of
itself if licenses are changed without full permissions, thus causing
distribution to be violating license terms. It currently, and in the future, 
may be in violation if this is done without 100% agreement from all
contributors.

I mean, do as you will. I certainly think LGPL is better for Lush as a
programming language. The problem is that people contributed under
the GPL, with the belief (conscious/unconscious?) that those contributions
would only be used in a non-commercial way (aside from end users running
the program for whatever reason). This is where GPL is one-way on this.

It might be a problem at some future point. Hope you got all those permissions
in writing to change over to LGPL. You can consider this email as my
permission in writing to change over any contributions I made or will make.
Maybe get others to send similar emails as proof, if you don't have something
already? 

Raymond










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