Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.
Re: A quick & dirty draft
Author: David Carter-Tod Posted: 8/24/2000; 7:19:38 AM Topic: Next survey: Are you an open source developer? Msg #: 20081 (In response to 20040) Prev/Next: 20080 / 20082
If I give you the source code, no matter what the license agreement says, you can do anything you want with it.I think that part of the problem is that multiple functions/levels are obscured in the debate.
1. The ability to read and learn from code.
2. Open source as a movement is as much about the development process as the ability to read source code. I suspect that a major reason for the popularity of the GPL is that the original creators of software want to continue working on their code and they want to ensure that improvements and bugs get back to them. They create software initially and ultimately to solve their own problems and so want to improve it and continue being the center of the process for that very same reason.
3. Open source as a moral choice. Issues of ownership, social good, etc.
4. Open source as part of an economic choice: the whole elimination of scarcity thing as part of a new economic paradigm.
David
This page was archived on 6/13/2001; 4:56:13 PM.
© Copyright 1998-2001 UserLand Software, Inc.