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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."
I agree, I had the opportunity to see Stallman speak in person at a conference in Boston, and I must say, the man needs professional help. He is very deluded and talks crazy, I can only hope he gets help before he hurts himself or someone else.
...like RMS will never be happy, and never have room for compromise. Garbage like this reminds me of Yasser Arafat at the Camp David Accords.
Seriously, though, RMS isn't doing Free Software any favors. It's hard to take stubborn zealots very seriously.
Socialism: A feeling of discontent and resentment caused by a desire for the possessions or qualities of another.
Who cares? GNU tools are embarrassingly inferior to their BSD counterparts.
This isn't news for nerds - they all know what RMS is about.
Is it stuff that matters? Depends on whether you think that Mr, Stallman's opinion matters. Personally I think he hasn't been relevant for a long time.
Speaking of relevance, where's GNU/HURD?
Yes, I expect to get modded down.
No electrons were harmed creating this post, though some may have been subjected to electrical and/or magnetic fields.
Why would you want to? GPL-licensed software, including the Linux kernel and the GNU userspace tools, are vastly inferior to equivalent software licensed under BSD. Deep down you know this is true, and so do all the Linux apologists who will predictably rise up to make excuses for their shoddy systems in response to this fundamental truth: Good, intelligent programmers find the GPL distasteful.
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.
Unfortunately a few PR whores, who don't even represent or consult other Gentoo developers, are quite happy to dignify Sun's dirty tricks in exchange for a bit of free press for themselves (which always looks good on a PhD submission, eh?), and since no-one takes RMS seriously any more he gets ignored on those odd occasions when his rants are actually sane...
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!
That would be GNU/Points thankyou very much.
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?
This isn't stupid ass frivolous pop art where talking about here, this is the inventions that make billions of dollars for fortune 500 companies we are talking about. Inspiration is irrelevant, software engineering is a process and prima donna artist types only disturb that process. People should have the right to close their source like any inventor protects the workings of his inventions.
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.