Ed, that figure-ground stuff is clever but it confuses the eye. I had to look at it for 2 seconds just to figure it out. As I said a while back, you should recognize a logo before your brain starts to read what's in your visual field. Your version doesn't work for that, although it certainly looks cool when one takes the time to look at it.
A logo needs to be recognizable independent of the text. It has to work across language barriers. It should bypass the verbal part of your mind, and when you see the image, you should recognize it as Debian before you actually start to read what's in your visual field.
Rob's logo looks flashy, but is entirely text-dependent. I'm not sure I would have voted for the swirl, but I have bigger fish to fry.
Debian has an "Official CD Set", which can be redistributed by anyone without royalty, but its an ISO image mastered by Debian and its contents are strictly defined. Anyone can distribute a different version, that's what they call "unofficial". So they really did need two logos.
I don't see yet how the presence of a lamp says not official and its absence says official. Maybe this needs to evolve a bit.
Write some code. Donate the code to FSF or SPI. Get a knowledgable accountant who is willing to try something new and defend it in an audit. Write off the value of "foregone royalties". Get audited. See if IRS disallows it. Someone has to be first.
I am completely convinced that if there hadn't been a campaign about Qt's license, and a Harmony project, and a GNOME project, that Qt would not be Open Source today.
I made peace with the KDE folks the moment I could. Actually, about 12 hours before I should have: I was so anxious to make peace that I preceded Troll Tech's public announcement, much to their annoyance. I publicly endorsed Troll's new license, and they display that endorsement on their web site.
Nobody was more happy than me to see that mess resolved. I still think things would have been much worse if it had not happened.
This means that SPI can use your money to work for free software approximately 1.3 times as efficiently as CoSource or SourceXChange. Given that you are in a 33% U.S. federal tax bracket (average for software engineers), you will essentially get back 33% of what you donate.
Let's not forget that FSF has been a 501(c)3 for at least a decade.
I'm not sure that you are correct about the application having expired, given the last paperwork I saw from USPTO. I think OSI can continue to pursue the application, and there is still a dispute with SPI, in which SPI may have a valid claim. Even if that application dies, it's still a trademark, just not a registered one, and registration can be applied for again. I'm not a party to how OSI and SPI are resolving this.
I didn't ask SPI for permission to respond as an officer of SPI regarding the Open Source trademark. That was regarding the Debian trademark, and they did indeed give me permission, and I responded, and as far as I know the Debian trademark is in good shape.
It's "too descriptive"? I'm not sure I agree with that one. It's also in a different trademark category from "OSS.com". I think it's valid - there's only a question regarding ownership.
I'm going to have to do a reality-check and see who else feels the way you do... but not here on Slashdot, please, folks. If you have to, email me at bruce@va.debian.org .
I don't think I have ever screwed up anything as badly as I've screwed up the Open Source trademark. I am frankly at a loss regarding how it will finally be sorted out (and it's out of my hands).
Well, you win a few and lose a few. It's nice to see SPI finish its 501(c)3.
Let's cross our fingers real hard and hope Internic fixes my host record today. My darned DSL provider went out of business, and unfortunately I was doing all of my own DNS (yes, I know, I'm stupid), and now all of my host and domain records point to/dev/null.
When one hardware manufacturer makes a brave decision, I think it's fair to nudge another hardware manufacturer, pointing and saying "see!".
Sure, I have a soapbox and I am rarely off of it. Somehow, by some incredible miracle, big companies are listening. I wish I could tell you about the mega-corporations I've been working with on free software licensing this week. You'll find out eventually.
I think I'm still doing the community some good. I hope you don't mind too much if I continue.
Oh, for the days when we didn't have drivers for all of those nice cards that we have Open Source drivers for today. Life was so blissful! Or at least simple.
I'm not going back. I like things the way they are now.
I've maintained for a long time that not-quite-open-source is worse than honest closed-source, because the not-quite-open stuff is positioned to keep a real open-source solution from being developed. You may not agree.
Regarding Apple-bashing, Apple very nicely incorporated all of the points that the Debian folks and I raised into version 1.1 of their APSL license. Whoever was Apple-bashing, it wasn't us. We had constructive criticism, and Apple responded to it. The press saw it as an attack, but they weren't used to free software issues.
Creative is an OEM of Nvidia chip sets. Creative, nothing in your sound cards can possibly be as proprietary as Nvidia's 3D chip. Let's please have real Open Source drivers for all of your sound cards, and hardware documentation on the web. Lead the pack, don't be a reluctant follower.
Please fix this article. "Sun Community Source" isn't Open Source - I think you went over their press release too fast. It's also not the same license that SGI used on XFS. SGI's license appears to be Open Source and they are being a lot nicer to the community than Sun.
I subscribed via dspeed.net for a 768k/768k. That's as fast as I can reliably go on a single telephone pair running almost 9000 feet from the central office. Fortunately, I have 3 pairs left over to add bandwidth if necessary.
The only reason for this line is to operate a server. Dspeed gave me two 4-day downtime events in two months, and then went out of business, leaving me with a fast wire to nowhere, on a weekend, when I was away from home. Covad took 10 days to move the connection to another provider. Hopefully Internic will fix my host record today. Total 1/2 month downtime.
If you want to use DSL for business, have two of them. Make sure that they use two different CLEC's (Covad and Northpoint, usually), and two different internet providers. Make sure that the IP addresses for both wires are in your DNS records and internic host records.
My new internet provider is in the same town, so at least I can bang on their door when something is wrong.
OK, they want someone to help them tell the public why to use NT instead of Linux. Don't we have enough people telling everyone why to use Linux instead of NT?
This is not to say that I approve of all of the various unfair Microsoft strategies, including writing FUD. But doesn't every company say why you shouldn't use their competition?
Some engineers can "write their own ticket". Linus is the best example - he doesn't really have to worry about getting a job. The Rasterman is another example.
Linus and Rasterman, however, are both well-known individuals with their own user communities. They're happy to work for you on their own terms. You can deal with this, and reap the benefits of being associated with them, or you can let them move on. They won't let you push them too far, especially where their user communities are concerned, because if your decisions are poor they will be the ones who lose face. They won't tolerate that for long.
Linus wisely works for a company that doesn't have Linux as its business, yet is willing to give him time to work on Linux, so that he doesn't get involved in this sort of conflict. Raster didn't really have that choice... maybe he'll find a position like that this time. Otherwise, he'll have to keep walking the tightrope, which means being ready to leave when he loses confidence in his management.
If you want to employ "superstars", keep this in mind. They are not a commidity! You can't pay for their labor units and ignore them when it comes to policy decisions, they won't put up with that.
If this is ever made to work practically, it will be at most a limited version of what the TV cable companies are doing to provide internet service on their much cleaner wires, and it will have less bandwidth than cable modems.
The main problem with this is that power lines are not nearly as well-balanced as the twisted-pair that feeds your phone. The result is that any signal on them tends to be radiated, and the FCC takes a poor view of this as would any radio users.
Even DSL is a problem in this way - the phone lines were not intended to be used at DSL frequencies and the result is often broadband radio interference where DSL is used. The problem is much worse for power lines.
There's also the problem that the transformers probably won't pass high frequencies too well, and someone will have to put bypass capacitors on every one of them to get the signal around the transformer.
By the way, here in North America we use 60 Hz, while Europeans use 400 Hz. Another poster had that backwards. 400 Hz transformers can be lighter and smaller than 60 Hz ones, but you probably still have a lot of them (even if you don't notice them).
I want switched fiber to the home. Maybe in a decade.
Slashdot Mirror
P.S. slashdot just lost a day's worth of stories.
Thanks
Bruce
Bruce
Exchanging the logos would help, but consider other objects - for example a pedestal rather than a lamp to connote official-ness.
Bruce
Rob's logo looks flashy, but is entirely text-dependent. I'm not sure I would have voted for the swirl, but I have bigger fish to fry.
Debian has an "Official CD Set", which can be redistributed by anyone without royalty, but its an ISO image mastered by Debian and its contents are strictly defined. Anyone can distribute a different version, that's what they call "unofficial". So they really did need two logos.
I don't see yet how the presence of a lamp says not official and its absence says official. Maybe this needs to evolve a bit.
Thanks
Bruce
If I'm not mistaken, there was even a line regarding taxable proceeds of barter on my return this year.
Thanks
Bruce
Thanks
Bruce
I made peace with the KDE folks the moment I could. Actually, about 12 hours before I should have: I was so anxious to make peace that I preceded Troll Tech's public announcement, much to their annoyance. I publicly endorsed Troll's new license, and they display that endorsement on their web site.
Nobody was more happy than me to see that mess resolved. I still think things would have been much worse if it had not happened.
Thanks
Bruce
Let's not forget that FSF has been a 501(c)3 for at least a decade.
Thanks
Bruce
I didn't ask SPI for permission to respond as an officer of SPI regarding the Open Source trademark. That was regarding the Debian trademark, and they did indeed give me permission, and I responded, and as far as I know the Debian trademark is in good shape.
It's "too descriptive"? I'm not sure I agree with that one. It's also in a different trademark category from "OSS.com". I think it's valid - there's only a question regarding ownership.
Thanks
Bruce
If I had my 'druthers, I'd see "Open Source"(tm) continue to refer to the DFSG/OSD that I wrote with the Debian folks.
Mind if I do a shameless plug? My name's on the front page of the Wall Street Journal today. Again, you win a few, you lose a few.
Bruce
Thanks
Bruce
Well, you win a few and lose a few. It's nice to see SPI finish its 501(c)3.
Bruce
Let's cross our fingers real hard and hope Internic fixes my host record today. My darned DSL provider went out of business, and unfortunately I was doing all of my own DNS (yes, I know, I'm stupid), and now all of my host and domain records point to /dev/null.
Bruce
When one hardware manufacturer makes a brave decision, I think it's fair to nudge another hardware manufacturer, pointing and saying "see!".
Sure, I have a soapbox and I am rarely off of it. Somehow, by some incredible miracle, big companies are listening. I wish I could tell you about the mega-corporations I've been working with on free software licensing this week. You'll find out eventually.
I think I'm still doing the community some good. I hope you don't mind too much if I continue.
Thanks
Bruce
I'm not going back. I like things the way they are now.
Bruce
Regarding Apple-bashing, Apple very nicely incorporated all of the points that the Debian folks and I raised into version 1.1 of their APSL license. Whoever was Apple-bashing, it wasn't us. We had constructive criticism, and Apple responded to it. The press saw it as an attack, but they weren't used to free software issues.
Thanks
Bruce
Thanks
Bruce Perens
Please fix this article. "Sun Community Source" isn't Open Source - I think you went over their press release too fast. It's also not the same license that SGI used on XFS. SGI's license appears to be Open Source and they are being a lot nicer to the community than Sun.
Thanks
Bruce
Bruce
Bruce
The only reason for this line is to operate a server. Dspeed gave me two 4-day downtime events in two months, and then went out of business, leaving me with a fast wire to nowhere, on a weekend, when I was away from home. Covad took 10 days to move the connection to another provider. Hopefully Internic will fix my host record today. Total 1/2 month downtime.
If you want to use DSL for business, have two of them. Make sure that they use two different CLEC's (Covad and Northpoint, usually), and two different internet providers. Make sure that the IP addresses for both wires are in your DNS records and internic host records.
My new internet provider is in the same town, so at least I can bang on their door when something is wrong.
Thanks
Bruce Perens
Bruce
This is not to say that I approve of all of the various unfair Microsoft strategies, including writing FUD. But doesn't every company say why you shouldn't use their competition?
Bruce
Linus and Rasterman, however, are both well-known individuals with their own user communities. They're happy to work for you on their own terms. You can deal with this, and reap the benefits of being associated with them, or you can let them move on. They won't let you push them too far, especially where their user communities are concerned, because if your decisions are poor they will be the ones who lose face. They won't tolerate that for long.
Linus wisely works for a company that doesn't have Linux as its business, yet is willing to give him time to work on Linux, so that he doesn't get involved in this sort of conflict. Raster didn't really have that choice... maybe he'll find a position like that this time. Otherwise, he'll have to keep walking the tightrope, which means being ready to leave when he loses confidence in his management.
If you want to employ "superstars", keep this in mind. They are not a commidity! You can't pay for their labor units and ignore them when it comes to policy decisions, they won't put up with that.
Thanks
Bruce Perens
The main problem with this is that power lines are not nearly as well-balanced as the twisted-pair that feeds your phone. The result is that any signal on them tends to be radiated, and the FCC takes a poor view of this as would any radio users.
Even DSL is a problem in this way - the phone lines were not intended to be used at DSL frequencies and the result is often broadband radio interference where DSL is used. The problem is much worse for power lines.
There's also the problem that the transformers probably won't pass high frequencies too well, and someone will have to put bypass capacitors on every one of them to get the signal around the transformer.
By the way, here in North America we use 60 Hz, while Europeans use 400 Hz. Another poster had that backwards. 400 Hz transformers can be lighter and smaller than 60 Hz ones, but you probably still have a lot of them (even if you don't notice them).
I want switched fiber to the home. Maybe in a decade.
Thanks Bruce Perens