Slashdot Mirror
RMS Blasts Sun's Open Source Patent Licensing
cdlu writes "RMS takes Sun to task on its recent announcement that it is releasing 1,600 patents to the open source community. Among the major points, the license the patents are released under doesn't apply to patents, and Sun has not promised to not sue anyone using the technology within free software projects."
Actually All I can think of is Stallman walking up to your machine, seeing some piece of software that's not freeware and pouring holy water in every vent home he can find, thus exercizing the demons...
Yes Francis, the world has gone crazy.
I really won't worry about this until I hear a big name other than RMS/St. IGNUcious/Mr. Free Software is not Open Source/Linux is really "GNU/Linux" say that this is a problem.
RMS doesn't want to make any concessions. The Open Source community does, and gets taken seriously. RMS does not do that, and does not get taken seriously.
It is sad, he is so extreme he is even losing credibility with OSS supporters as myself. I trust Linus Torvalds still.
Here is an example of the FSF being pig headed. GCC vs EGCS. EGCS was a free version of GCC taken up by Cygnus (a commercial company). EGCS was better about adding needed patches than GCC was, and was the only usable alternative for a while until the mainstream GCC incorporated the patches.
RMS and the FSF need to play ball. That is how stuff gets done in the Real World.
I still support the FSF and RMS' pro-software freedom stances, but I think a change in tactics is in order.
Just because it CAN be done, doesn't mean it should!
Your misunderstanding was part of the reason for the term 'open source' being coined
Apparently, you saw a misunderstanding where there was none.
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
Sigh.
Show of hands: Who here is sick and tired of this "You gave us your property for free, but rather than being grateful we're going to be pissed off that you held something back for yourself" attitude?
Is it just me?
In your opinion they "lied" about it. Howzabout, in the name of intellectual honesty, you take a step back off that bold and, in my personal opinion, overly enthusiastic assertion? It would help defuse the "Gimme, gimme, gimme" public image that you people have cultivated ever so diligently over the past few years.
Although, frankly, it won't help much. As long as your A-number-one spokesman is out there spewing crap like "Patent parasites don't really produce anything, they only suck the blood of those who do," you're going to have a massive PR problem.
Apple is the world's most influential brand. Know why "Linux" isn't on that list? I mean, apart from the fact that "Linux" is so splintered that it doesn't really mean anything to most people? The problem lies entirely in public relations. You people need to send the message that you're about cooperation, about helping people, about excellence. You don't. You send the message that you're about the destruction of property rights that we've held as axiomatic for centuries.
Personally, I think Linux is a pretty bad product that lacks any particular potential to become a good product. But that doesn't need to stand in the way of commercial success. There's a huge market niche that's just waiting to be filled by a mediocre, cheap product. The thing stopping Linux from being a huge, mediocre, cheap success isn't the product itself -- though that will have to be fixed. It's the branding.
Right now, "Linux" is "Gimme gimme." That's gonna have to change. And you can start the process of changing it.