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User: Bruce+Perens

Bruce+Perens's activity in the archive.

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Comments · 7,506

  1. A message to my peers on theos.com Dispute Ended · · Score: 1
    I would not consider "I'm not going to do business with you" a threat.

    Consider my posting "preventative maintainance" - I have absolutely no evidence that anything untoward happened, but I want people to know how I feel for next time.

    Thanks

    Bruce

  2. A message to my peers on theos.com Dispute Ended · · Score: 5
    People, overwhelming them with polite protest is fine. Threats and attacks on their systems are out of bounds. Not that I know that system attacks or threats actually happened, but if I found out about that, I'd be the first to call the cops.

    Thanks

    Bruce Perens

  3. The talkback article - what is he refering to? on RMS Immature, Slashdot and Community Arrogant? · · Score: 1
    Not that I had much choice about NYIT's password policy. That was entirely Rick's decision.

    The fact was that you had physical access to the system console, and you could bring the machine down to single-user to install all sorts of setuid-root hacks if you wanted to.

    That place was so anal-retentive they even locked up the office supplies at night. I got very good at knocking hinge-pins out of closet doors.

    Bruce

  4. Media Hype on RMS Immature, Slashdot and Community Arrogant? · · Score: 1
    I do get interviewed by some reporter on the phone nearly every day now. I don't mind that much, I'm spreading the good word. The controversy between high-profile people in the community is nothing new for me - we're really just putting our views in front of the public, and they get to choose which ones they like. It's an important part of the democratic process.

    I have an organization I founded a few years back called No-Code International that is trying to get the FCC to drop the Morse code test for ham radio licenses. The argument between hams on that is much worse than anything we argue about in the free software community.

    Thanks

    Bruce

  5. Re: Hmmm. on RMS Immature, Slashdot and Community Arrogant? · · Score: 1
    Richard has had a laptop for the past 2 years or so on which he can type without severe pain, but I'm not sure how long he can type comfortably. The laptop runs Debian GNU/Linux.

    Put yourself in his place and think about losing your hands for a few years and never really getting better. It must be hell. For a long time he actually had to use stenographers to handle his e-mail.

    Thanks

    Bruce

  6. "Affected Code" is defined. on Apple responds to APSL issues · · Score: 1
    Yes, I saw your post. If that's a "definition", it's not a good one. An apple exec I spoke with agrees that this can be tightened up. He's not digging in his heels on this, so there is little reason for you and I to argue about it.

    Thanks

    Bruce

  7. Problems with the APSL and Open Software Def. on Apple responds to APSL issues · · Score: 1
    If the license terminates, you may no longer redistribute the program. The default case with no license is "All Rights Reserved". If you can't redistribute the program, it's not Open Source.

    I agree that we could make it explicit in the OSD, but it's already there by implication.

    Thanks

    Bruce

  8. "Affected Original Code" on Apple responds to APSL issues · · Score: 1
    The "explicit definition" you are pointing out is this sentence:

    If any of the Original Code becomes the subject of a claim of infringement ("Affected Original Code")

    As long as you and I can argue about the precision of that definition, it can be argued either way in court, too. Let's make it completely unambiguous and keep out of court!

    Bruce

  9. Just a few questions on Apple responds to APSL issues · · Score: 1

    See my reply in the "Sheesh" thread. Thanks Bruce

  10. Re: Hmmm. on RMS Immature, Slashdot and Community Arrogant? · · Score: 1
    RMS burned out his hands with RSI and isn't much good for coding any longer. He helps where he can.

    I wrote two new GPL-ed programs last week.

    Bruce

  11. Problems with the APSL and Open Software Def. on Apple responds to APSL issues · · Score: 1
    If the license ever terminates, tests 1 through 9 of the OSD all fail. Thus, by implication termination is against the OSD. If we are to accept termination at all, it must be very limited to situations in which the original developer is forced to terminate against their will, and only the minimum necessary code must be terminated.

    I don't think the license has to prohibit obfuscation. If we ever see an incident of obfuscation, that software is not open source. The license doesn't have to come into it.

    Thanks

    Bruce

  12. You are not alone on Apple responds to APSL issues · · Score: 2
    16000 people clicked through the license to download and get a look at the code. Me among them. They are not developers until they upload new code. I would not do that with the license in its present state, I expect the license will be fixed soon.

    Thanks

    Bruce

  13. Sometimes perspective helps... on Apple responds to APSL issues · · Score: 2
    I endorsed Troll's new license on their own web page, and I persist in telling people to turn the heat down now that Troll has accommodated us. It's sad that the abuse is still happening.

    Thanks

    Bruce

  14. Ability to revoke the license at any time on Apple responds to APSL issues · · Score: 2
    The termination issue is based on the lack of a definition of Affected Original Code. They'll define it. Right now, it might mean all code.

    There will be lots of specious patent suits, that is the nature of the U.S. software patent system. Some future Apple management could decide to fold up its tents for any one of these suits. We want to get good wording now so that this could never happen.

    Bruce

  15. Sheesh. on Apple responds to APSL issues · · Score: 1
    The trademark situation is almost entirely my fault. I screwed up. I did some things that will probably not stand up in court, although I doubt they'll ever get to court.

    SPI will act eventually. I think they want to be really sure that they've discussed all of the options before they do, but I do not speak for them and am not privy to their plans.

    Thanks

    Bruce

  16. Sheesh. on Apple responds to APSL issues · · Score: 2
    The trademark situation is pretty much my fault. I screwed up. The outcome so far is that SPI still owns the mark, dispite actions I took that it appears would not stand up in court. I am not relishing the idea of being in court about this, but it will probably never happen anyway.

    If SPI is not acting, it is probably because they want to think and discuss for a long time before they do anything. They are certainly aware of what is going on. I, however, do not speak for them.

    Thanks

    Bruce

  17. Sheesh. on Apple responds to APSL issues · · Score: 4
    SPI still owns the Open Source trademark. Ask the USPTO.

    16000 approvals of the license means that people clicked through the license page on the way to downloading the software to get a look at it. It doesn't mean that many of those 16000 people would contribute their own work on the software, given the current license. But it's a good thing to say at the stockholders meeting where nobody understands this anyway.

    Apple is still listening to comment on the APSL and does not intend to leave it at 1.0 forever, although Avi might not be aware of that.

    So far, CMP has done two of the worst stories on this topic, and they don't write back when I write them.

    Bruce

  18. Twiddler II? on One-handed Keyboards · · Score: 1
    Hey, I'll wait for that. I hope it won't be long.

    Thanks

    Bruce

  19. Twiddler II? on One-handed Keyboards · · Score: 1
    So the wearables page says the Twiddler II won a prize. But it's apparently not for sale yet. How is it different from the Twiddler 1?

    Bruce

  20. They got me all wrong on Apple's Open Source Stew · · Score: 1
    These folks got my motivation for leaving OSI all wrong and the talk about legal action is bunk. The rest of the article is OK, but why does the press take some constructive criticism and blow it up this way? The letter I wrote is very non-confrontational and welcoming in its tone.

    Bruce

  21. 16,000 devs AGREE to Apple license in just 1 week. on Apple's Open Source Stew · · Score: 1
    A lot of them clicked through and downloaded the code to look at it (and to put a copy away in case it's withdrawn later). That doesn't mean they are goint to submit modifications.

    Bruce

  22. Bruce Peren's middle initial ... on Apple's Open Source Stew · · Score: 1
    It's not ASCII :-)

    Bruce

  23. You're ashamed of the democratic process on Apple's Open Source Stew · · Score: 2
    You're ashamed of the democratic process - open discussion on issues that concern us.

    You also have the termination point wrong. There is no definition of Affected Original Code, an error Apple is willing to fix. Until they do, there's no reason it could not be taken as all code.

    It's ironic how Apple supporters are more willing to dig in their heels than Apple is. Someone wrote me and said "it's wrong to be more royalist than the king". I agree.

    Bruce

  24. GPL, Open Source, and everything else on Apple's Open Source Stew · · Score: 1
    I wrote the DFSG too, at least the first draft, as part of the Debian Social Contract. There were lots of Debian comments which I integrated into the document, so the Debian developers are co-authors.

    The OSD is the DFSG with Debian references removed. There are no substantive changes other than that.

    Bruce

  25. GPL vs. APSL on patents on Apple's Open Source Stew · · Score: 2
    You missed the fact that the GPL only requires you to stop distributing, while the APSL lets Apple command everyone else to destroy the copies of the software they already have.

    Bruce