Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.
Re: What's different about sun....
Author: Paul Snively Posted: 10/2/1999; 1:40:44 PM Topic: What's different about sun.... Msg #: 11705 (In response to 11689) Prev/Next: 11704 / 11706
Jamie Scheinblum wrote:The GPL turns a LOT of people off. It's the ultimate kool-aid. Once you drink it, your commited, your software is out there. ... Oh well, I agree with Dave... the open-source defence mechanism is in high gear, and it's really makes me feel unwanted.
First, as Ken McLeod alluded to, I think you're perhaps overidentifying "Open Source" and the GPL.
It's true that Red Hat uses the GPL and LGPL on their distribution. Ironically, given your assertion that Red Hat is developer-focused, this is to protect their users in exactly the fashion that you mentioned as a hypothetical from the other side: it protects users from the developer of an "Open Source" product from changing their minds and demanding commercial licensing ex post facto. It's absolutely true that once you commit to the GPL, you're committed and that's it. So like all permanent commitments, adopting the GPL should not be taken lightly.
And it isn't by many in the Open Source community, which is why there are other popular licenses such as Mozilla's, BSD-derived licenses, etc. Many Open Source advocates also find the LGPL acceptable because it allows for the inclusion of LGPL'ed software in commercial code without causing the entire body of code to fall under the GPL.
As for the "defence mechanism being in high gear," that is also only natural: like any free system attempting to survive in an environment where freedom is not the accepted norm, there is some danger of the free system being coopted. To Open Source adherents, Sun's "Community Licensing" of both Java and Solaris smells suspiciously like coopting.
Thanks for reading,
Paul Snively
<mailto:psnively@earthlink.net>
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