We Don't Need the GPL Anymore

jpkunst writes "In a lengthy interview with Eric S. Raymond by Federico Biancuzzi at O'Reilly's onlamp.com, ESR defends his position that 'Open source would be succeeding faster if the GPL didn't make lots of people nervous about adopting it.'" From the article: "I don't think the GPL is the principal reason for Linux's success. Rather, I believe it's because in 1991 Linus was the first person to find the right social architecture for distributed software development. It wasn't possible much before then because it required cheap internet; and after Linux, most people who might otherwise have founded OS projects found that the minimum-energy route to what they wanted was to improve Linux. The GPL helped, but I think mainly as a sort of social signal rather than as a legal document with teeth."

Comments

On the contrary

[Anonymous Coward]

We don't need Eric S. Raymond.

Note the lack of "anymore" in that sentence.

Re:Oh for Pete's sake!

[llamaluvr]

Your post isn't valid HTML because it did not use the SATIRE tag, or even the now-deprecated SARCASM tag.

Re:Oh for Pete's sake!

[91degrees]

Can't any of you responders recognize satire when you see it?

Of course we can't.

Weather forecast

[Egregius]

I feel a s***storm coming nonetheless. ;-)

Re:Weather forecast

[TheRaven64]

Why did you have to censor `snow'?

Awww.... the GPL makes you nervous?

[solios]

Use a BSD. Stop whining.

Talent and time are the only things holding FOSS back. :P

Re:GPL Teeth?

[Anonymous Coward]

Can anyone tell me if the GPLs teeth have been tested or evaluated? How sharp are they?

The International Standards Organization carried out a study last year; in order of increasing sharpness:

• Ruminants
• GPL
• Carnivores
• Richard Kiel in Moonraker

Re:ESR on drugs

[ConceptJunkie]

If /. stopped posting idiocies, there would be like 3 people discussing the weather.

You know they often get more mileage out of a provocative article than an informative one.

Re:Oh for Pete's sake!

[Anonymous Coward]

WTF you talking about man?

I keep forgetting

[SimianOverlord]

Is ESR the fat one with the beard, or the moustachied one with the flute? I wish submitters would remind us in write up - I'm thinking brackets after the name "ESR (moustache / flute)" would help remind us each time. To many TLAs in Open Sauce.

Re:I keep forgetting

[-brazil-]

ESR is the mustache guy, I think. Unfortunately your criteria aren't all that helpful either, since there is more than one very bearded poster child of the open source movement.

Re:I keep forgetting

[2names]

I'm thinking brackets after the name

Better get everyone to agree on that standard before you publish it. Otherwise you'll have MS people putting curly braces, Linux people putting brackets, and Mac people using Floating Hearts or something...

*ducks*

Re:I keep forgetting

[peterpi]

And as such should really be referred to as GUN/ESR, not just ESR.

Re:Amazing

[sajithts]

Say it, bother. You see, I created a slashdot account just to thank you.

Re:Silly OSI vs FSF marketing fud

[Usquebaugh]

Easier to sum up :-

OSI = West Coast
FSF = East Coast

Re:Silly OSI vs FSF marketing fud

[Anonymous Coward]

ridiculous, dammit! Deserving of ridicule. What the fuck is "redicule"? You had just fucking quoted it from the GP! How the fuck do you get it wrong?!?

Re:Silly OSI vs FSF marketing fud

[Anonymous Coward]

> I don't give a damn how much Sun paid you from
> their Microsoft settlement to get the
> pattent-encumbered CDDL approved

The FSF has it on thier list of free software licenses too.
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#GPLI ncompatibleLicenses

Re:He's right, of course

[Knara]

I'd venture the problem is more with the reader in this case than the writer. Seeing as this isn't a formal, edited publication, I'd suggest you save yourself the time of writing this sort of pointless reply next time around.

Re:GPL Teeth?

[Leto2]

Actually, he spelled it corectly. You just don't know how to spell your nick...