On Sun, 18 Jun 2006 16:27:00 -0700
"jdow" <jdow@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I think you and Les are arguing to cross purposes. Les is simply
> stating that the GPL is not necessarily good for consumers or users.
> The users lose out on many features they'd like to have. The hurt
> to nVidia is much less than the inconvenience to users who would like
> to use Linux with nVidia cards. That arguably hurts Linux, too.
I assumed for way to long in that thread that Les was able to argue at
all. He just kept putting forth misconception after misconception and
the said "See!!!".
Now your assertion that the GPL isn't good for consumers or users just
plain misses the point.
GPL code isn't mean to be good for ALL users and ALL consumers. It's
meant to be good for developers and users that are willing and able to
abide by the GPL license. It is designed to EXCLUDE the people who
can't or won't participate as required. Therefore, to point out
that some people don't get to benefit from the GPL is ludicrously
obvious, it's the bleeding point.
> As to who and how the GPL hurts people or companies making it good,
> evil, agnostic, confused, or anything else that is a view each person
> can make for herself or himself. Whether it hurts developers or not
> is up to the opinion of the developer. It actually simplifies my life.
> I develop for Windows and keep the Linux system alive as a server for
> various networking needs. I don't feel any compulsion to develop for
> two quite different environments. Besides even if I could charge for
> software such as I make under a Linux environment I could not make
> near as much as with the Windows environment. But I would like to
> share the tools with Linux folks for roughly the cost of creating it
> for Linux folks. No can do. So I don't. The losers are arguably
> the Linux USERS not me. (Which leads me to an observation that Linux
> users who try to make Linux into a USERs machine rather than a server
> must be into self abuse in other nasty ways, too. {^_-})
Well, the GPL isn't meant to encourage all developers to participate,
it is only meant to encourage developers who can find a way to play
by the rules. It's working quite well since those that can't find
a way to play by the rules keep screaming that they can't find a way
to play by the rules.
As for users, they must understand the nature of GPL software and decide
for themselves what is important to them. The GPL does help ensure that
they have access to all the source code. This means that even if the
original developer gets hit by a truck, they can hire someone to maintain
their code and keep going. This is often not the case when a user is
using a proprietary application that is either taken over by another firm
and retired, or the original firm just goes bankrupt etc.
So there are _real_ advantages like the above to users, but there are
obvious consequences as well. So I agree with you that each user must
decide what is best for themselves.
Sean
