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UK Govt Warned: Don't Buy GPL

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the just-download-it-instead dept.

JPMH writes "ZDNet is reporting that a UK IT industry body backed by Microsoft, IBM, Intel, BAE Systems and other high-tech heavyweights has urged the UK government not to commission open-source software, and particularly not software covered by the General Public License. According to Intellect, which lobbies for about 1,000 UK IT companies, the requirement of open-source licences for software funded by the government could have a negative impact on competition for contracts, the quality of the resulting software and even the confidentiality of government departments. In particular, Intellect recommends that the government drop the GNU General Public License (GPL), the licence upon which the GNU/Linux operating system is based, from its list of acceptable default licences for government-funded software, and steer clear of the GPL generally."

14 of 806 comments (clear)

  1. Hard to buy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That which is free.

  2. I'm confused! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    IBM is GOOD, because they are making SCO look like fools, but now IBM is BAD, because it wants to make money from its software.

    What should I do??

    1. Re:I'm confused! by The+J+Kid · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's Thursday, so we like Enterprise Linux, so this is bad news. But it's
      July, so this is good news. But the day of the week is odd, so we're
      supposed to only bash Microsoft and SCO. But the 1 of the digits in the day matches 2 digits
      year, so we only especially entrench ourselfs against critisism the GPL. But it was
      posted AFTER 18:00, so this is good news.

      Got it?

      --
      Moderation: +4. Modded 70% Funny and 30% Overrated. 100% Saturated.
    2. Re:I'm confused! by Eric+Ass+Raymond · · Score: 5, Funny

      I suppose you've never tried living with a woman?

      --
      BOO! TERRO
    3. Re:I'm confused! by jmacleod9975 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Shopkeeper: I must warn you the doll is cursed.
      Homer: That's bad.
      Homer: But it comes with a free frogurt!
      Homer: That's good.
      Shopkeeper: The frogurt is also cursed.
      Homer: That's bad!
      Shopkeeper: But it comes with a free choice of toppings!
      Homer: That's good!
      Shopkeeper: The toppings contain sodium benzoate.
      [Homer looks puzzled.]
      Shopkeeper: That's bad.
      Homer: Can I go now?

    4. Re:I'm confused! by sacrilicious · · Score: 4, Funny
      Hammock vendor: I must warn you though, this is no ordinary hammock. It is a scintillating mix of comfort and (grows menacing) EVIL!

      Homer: You had me at comfort.

      --
      - First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
  3. In other news ... by Frater+219 · · Score: 5, Funny
    • British Bloodletters' Association and the Snake Oil Forum have issued a joint statement decrying the use of surgery and medicine in UK hospitals.
    • Mercenaries Union has called for a more aggressive foreign policy "to protect national interests".
    • The Direct Marketers' Association is continuing to lobby against effective anti-spam regulations on the grounds that they "will prevent the expansion of your penis^W^Wour industry."
    • The Royal Mad Scientists Society has petitioned for an end to BSE prevention efforts, staging street protests with the slogan "prions are people too!"
  4. NEWS FLASH: Fox warns against locking henhouse by hoggoth · · Score: 5, Funny

    A study commissioned by the fox, today issued a strong warning against putting a lock on the henhouse. "Locks are dangerous things. They can pinch your fingers. They cause changes in behavior that are undesirable."

    --
    - For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat /dev/random (may take some time)
  5. Simple equation by Dr_LHA · · Score: 5, Funny

    Number of mentions of the word innovations per page is roughtly equivalent to the probability that this report was funded and ghost written by Microsoft.

    Lets see: 3 mentions in 4 pages. MS probabilty factor - 75%.

  6. Re:IBM too? by 4of12 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just because you are a member of a group does not mean you always have to agree with the majority.

    I know. I'm an American.

    --
    "Provided by the management for your protection."
  7. Re:Well, of course. GPL is severely restrictive. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    These are taxpayer dollars we're talking about.
    No, they're taxpayer Pounds, stoopid... ;)
  8. Re:That's like Ronald McDonald... by Boyceterous · · Score: 5, Funny

    At least the KFC kernel is very stable, having been dead for some years now...oh wait, that's colonel!

  9. Re:Nobody seems to have pointed this out yet... by AVee · · Score: 5, Funny

    So the interesting question is wheter fireing a missile containing a GPL'ed binary counts as distibution...

  10. Re:Nobody seems to have pointed this out yet... by mark-t · · Score: 4, Funny

    I would say not, since who you are distributing it to will not be in any position to demand to see the source code once the transaction has been completed.

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'