Boy, that splinter in your eye looks stupid. Why don't you pull that splinter from your eye? If you leave that splinter in, it's going to fester. What were you, born in a barn? Take that splinter out! If I have to tell you again to take that splinter out, there's going to be trouble. All right, you asked for it. Sic 'em, Lewis.
It strikes me that there's a link between the response of the judge in the 2600 decision and the reponse of the different press sources cited in this article.
What they have in common is a mistrust and fear of those who make, support, and use <free, open-source,... your favorite term here> tools. This mistrust produces a hostility toward the people involved as well as toward the tools themselves.
You didn't ask me, but that looks to me like the reactionary response by those who are frustrated by the reported technical successes of free software. DeCSS seems like deeper, more offensive magic if you assume that CSS started off being very secure. Linux and Apache seem like upstarts if Microsoft has been your sole introduction and guide through the world of personal computing.
It's also related to how religiously and self-righteously we tend to hop on those successes. Some people are used to hearing paid PR and marketing folks doing that, and it sounds like the pretty background noise of commerce to them.
Community-produced software, on the other hand, makes noise that sounds more like revolution to some ears, in part because it's not looking lucrative in the traditional sense.
There's nothing wrong with wanting judges to make rational decisions, or media sources to make reasonable reports. It's foolish, on the other hand, to believe that either is likely, let alone assured.
The real answers come as we address technical issues, even while we're indignant about and frustrated by the falsehoods and prejudice.
While I don't want to live in a technocracy, I prefer my software built there, y'know?
Although some of our friends in the Mainstream Press are going to be confused by the dual licensing thing, and attribute much bad to it, here are some VGTs:
If a project is going to engulf every activity it can think of, it's wise to use the same license as the rest of the known world.
It's good to see some of the core applications being used (thinking of MySQL now, too, but please don't hurt me) coming into the GPL fold.
August hasn't been good for Mozilla, newswise, and a little positive news may set the "no such thing as bad publicity" bit.
The licensing infighting is really confusing to those outside the community. The "many ways to do things" philosophy looks like confusion to them.
The licensing infighting is really confusing to those inside the community. Fracturing support for a project over legalese isn't wise.
Upon completion of the relicensing, I'll award the Mozilla folk an official Atta Boy. More await the release of a version usable by my father.
Slashdot Mirror
Hey, Ma! The net went down again! Oh, it's coming up again! Going down again, dadblast the consarned, confounded luck!
An MPAA Monologue. Starring TWAOL.
Boy, that splinter in your eye looks stupid. Why don't you pull that splinter from your eye? If you leave that splinter in, it's going to fester. What were you, born in a barn? Take that splinter out! If I have to tell you again to take that splinter out, there's going to be trouble. All right, you asked for it. Sic 'em, Lewis.
In best Marty Feldman voice: What log?
It's getting harder to find any public construction in West Virginia that doesn't have Byrd's name on it.
Actual Scene from a WVa Coffee Shop:
CALIFORNIAN is reading a newspaper.
WAITRESS: "Whatcha'll readin' for?"
It strikes me that there's a link between the response of the judge in the 2600 decision and the reponse of the different press sources cited in this article.
What they have in common is a mistrust and fear of those who make, support, and use <free, open-source, ... your favorite term here> tools. This mistrust produces a hostility toward the people involved as well as toward the tools themselves.
You didn't ask me, but that looks to me like the reactionary response by those who are frustrated by the reported technical successes of free software. DeCSS seems like deeper, more offensive magic if you assume that CSS started off being very secure. Linux and Apache seem like upstarts if Microsoft has been your sole introduction and guide through the world of personal computing.
It's also related to how religiously and self-righteously we tend to hop on those successes. Some people are used to hearing paid PR and marketing folks doing that, and it sounds like the pretty background noise of commerce to them.
Community-produced software, on the other hand, makes noise that sounds more like revolution to some ears, in part because it's not looking lucrative in the traditional sense.
There's nothing wrong with wanting judges to make rational decisions, or media sources to make reasonable reports. It's foolish, on the other hand, to believe that either is likely, let alone assured.
The real answers come as we address technical issues, even while we're indignant about and frustrated by the falsehoods and prejudice.
While I don't want to live in a technocracy, I prefer my software built there, y'know?
Upon completion of the relicensing, I'll award the Mozilla folk an official Atta Boy. More await the release of a version usable by my father.