Notice how they they define software freedom, then explain the purpose of copyleft? Notice how they explain how you can be free without copyleft (like X), but they defend why copyleft is so much better? (and it is).
This seems pretty plain language to me. Please don't slander GNU by saying they use tricks and don't say what they mean. If you go to their website it's very plain. As someone else has said, when you take cheap shots only you look cheap.
You say: > Why and EXACTLY how will open source ease the burden, stop burnout, stop asshole bosses, etc. etc. etc.?
I say:
Easy... the more open source code is out there, the less software companies we have fighting each other to the death.
As soon as an open source product can be the leader in a certain field, there no longer remains much of a market for a proprietry software company to try and take.
Open source is actually going to lower the revenues of the current over priced software industry. This will be made up for partly by an increase in service and support areas, but overall the cost of computing is gonna go down due to open source.
So the number of software companies burning staff in order to take over some new market is going to be less and less. Once an open source solution is superior and free, there is no way it can be beaten.
The point of open source isn't to make more money for the software industry, it's to make better and freer software for the users.
Surely these awards could only be given to programmers whose work is open sourced? How else could you evaluate their code?
It's worth making the point that the free software movement has been great for the 'glorifying' of the coder/programmer. The art of programming really enters a new phase if everyone can see your work. This is compounded further if the code is GPL'ed, as anyone who is 'better' than you can fork the project and improve it. Only the best people end up leading projects, no-one is held captive by one vendor - whether that is microsoft or some closed source shareware author whose product you need.
This is a great thing, the best people end up in the best jobs. I hope the free software movement can keep growing as is. (ie: GPL all the way).
It's ironic, that with the GPL you give the code freedom to exist independent of the vendor/coder. But this in turn ends up bringing attention (glory/fame etc) to the programmer if the code is sufficiently good and useful.
At the end of the day, 99% of the best code in the world is going to be GPL'ed, as anything less is a lame attempt to keep some form of control on the code. Whereas the genius programmer has no need for such low self-esteem tactics.
I wonder if Dr Dobb's journal is picking up on these ideas. I don't really see how you could publish a decent programming magazine in a world where everything is closed-source.
Redhat is worth supporting because they support GPL software. They pay for programmers to write GPL'ed code. There aren't many companies doing this.
You can download redhat for free. You can get a cheap cd for $2.
Or you can buy it for $50 and support free software programmers, and get some tech support.
Caldera are much more scary with their non-gpled addons etc.
Don't knock redhat just because they are successful. I wouldn't mind if they had 90% of the linux market, as long as they stayed GPL'ing everything, it would be an excellent situation.
Apparently they have 40 full time programmers currently working on GPL'ed projects... Imagined if that became 400?? that would rock.
I've been using unix for 8 years, and I find Redhat is fine for the more advanced user. I don't use (or really like) RPM's, but they are helpful in some situations.. good for newbies... Though I do detest when people are too lazy to progress past rpm level - that is the fault of people not RedHat though.
More power to them...
If you're going to bash, bash anything remotely non-free.. like QT/troll tech/caldera/APSL. But as long as Redhat are fully GPL'ed then support them.
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hi Tom,
Ever had a close look at the GNU Website lately?
Notice how they they define software freedom, then explain the purpose of copyleft? Notice how they explain how you can be free without copyleft (like X), but they defend why copyleft is so much better? (and it is).
This seems pretty plain language to me. Please don't slander GNU by saying they use tricks and don't say what they mean. If you go to their website it's very plain. As someone else has said, when you take cheap shots only you look cheap.
ta,
wayne
You say:
> Why and EXACTLY how will open source ease the burden, stop burnout, stop asshole bosses, etc. etc. etc.?
I say:
Easy... the more open source code is out there, the less software companies we have fighting each other to the death.
As soon as an open source product can be the leader in a certain field, there no longer remains much of a market for a proprietry software company to try and take.
Open source is actually going to lower the revenues of the current over priced software industry. This will be made up for partly by an increase in service and support areas, but overall the cost of computing is gonna go down due to open source.
So the number of software companies burning staff in order to take over some new market is going to be less and less. Once an open source solution is superior and free, there is no way it can be beaten.
The point of open source isn't to make more money for the software industry, it's to make better and freer software for the users.
ta,
k_wayne
hi,
How do closed source programmers get evaluated?
Surely these awards could only be given to programmers whose work is open sourced? How else could you evaluate their code?
It's worth making the point that the free software movement has been great for the 'glorifying' of the coder/programmer. The art of programming really enters a new phase if everyone can see your work. This is compounded further if the code is GPL'ed, as anyone who is 'better' than you can fork the project and improve it. Only the best people end up leading projects, no-one is held captive by one vendor - whether that is microsoft or some closed source shareware author whose product you need.
This is a great thing, the best people end up in the best jobs. I hope the free software movement can keep growing as is. (ie: GPL all the way).
It's ironic, that with the GPL you give the code freedom to exist independent of the vendor/coder. But this in turn ends up bringing attention (glory/fame etc) to the programmer if the code is sufficiently good and useful.
At the end of the day, 99% of the best code in the world is going to be GPL'ed, as anything less is a lame attempt to keep some form of control on the code. Whereas the genius programmer has no need for such low self-esteem tactics.
I wonder if Dr Dobb's journal is picking up on these ideas. I don't really see how you could publish a decent programming magazine in a world where everything is closed-source.
ta
wayne
Redhat is worth supporting because they support GPL software. They pay for programmers to write GPL'ed code. There aren't many companies doing this.
You can download redhat for free. You can get a cheap cd for $2.
Or you can buy it for $50 and support free software programmers, and get some tech support.
Caldera are much more scary with their non-gpled addons etc.
Don't knock redhat just because they are successful. I wouldn't mind if they had 90% of the linux market, as long as they stayed GPL'ing everything, it would be an excellent situation.
Apparently they have 40 full time programmers currently working on GPL'ed projects... Imagined if that became 400?? that would rock.
I've been using unix for 8 years, and I find Redhat is fine for the more advanced user.
I don't use (or really like) RPM's, but they are helpful in some situations.. good for newbies... Though I do detest when people are too lazy to progress past rpm level - that is the fault of people not RedHat though.
More power to them...
If you're going to bash, bash anything remotely non-free.. like QT/troll tech/caldera/APSL. But as long as Redhat are fully GPL'ed then support them.
The important issue is whether the code is free.
wayne.