Mike McCarty wrote:
The nVidia binary blob is explicitly NOT part of the distro, nor is
its use supported by RHAT. You put things in binary-only because you
want to disempower people from being able to copy it around and modify
it.
Um, "disempower" appears to be a coined term, but the use of the prefix
dis·em·pow·er (dĭs'ĕm-pou'ər) pronunciation
tr.v., -ered, -er·ing, -ers.
To deprive of power or influence.
http://www.answers.com/disempower&r=67
Somebody coined it, but not me. As I said according to this definition,
nVidia made a decision to "deprive" recipients of their code "power or
influence" to modify it and redistribute it.
You call it a "binary blob", Nvidia calls it intellectual property. And
Well thanks for the clarification. If nVidia choose to not openly
license some of their code, it's up to them: but equally I am able to
point out their lack of openness and disrespect it.
I see no point in disrespecting someone exercising what is their
right. It would make as much sense as for me to "disrespect" you
"disempowering" me from driving your car around whenever I like
Sure you see that point, people daily make a decision about what is in
their rights to do compared to what is actually right. You are within
your rights to sue 100 people today but you don't choose to, to your credit.
Refusing to buy their product is the best way to convince them to
change. Voting with one's feet is the most convincing argument
Right -->
to any businessman. Disrespecting people's exercising their rights
isn't an activity likely to cause them to change their minds.
Some people are in a position where the inherit or worse are in an an
ongoing purchasing arrangement where they cannot do other than end up
with nVidia cards. Sometimes the best way is to accept that the
advanced capabilities are closed off and nv will do fine. Other times
you should accept that eating the binary restrictions is the best way
through becuase it delivers a larger benefit.
That is to say one has to deal with the situation one finds oneself in.
One has to respect nVidia's IP rights by force of law, but that
doesn't stop you disrespecting nVidia's decision about where they drew
the line, nor does it stop you denigrating nVidia or their products,
which sup Kim has supped deeply from. Since nothing that I do will
"cause them to change their minds" they might as well hear my
unadulterated opinion, hopefully affecting the opinion of others to
avoid nVidia. What is your proposal I should have done instead?
-Andy
