[plug] Fwd: [SLUG] Lucky 13 for Linux

skribe skribe at amber.com.au
Mon Apr 12 18:51:52 WST 1999


On 12-Apr-99 Greg Mildenhall wrote:
> I hope that's not what I'm doing...

No, you haven't.  I appreciate your points even though I disagree with most
of them =).

>> It was just made possible because Linus and countless others chose to forgo
>> their proprietary interests.
> You make that sound like an unusual choice. Isn't sharing natural? 

Can I borrow your car this weekend?  How about your house?  Your woman? 
Sharing is far from natural.  It takes a level of maturity from both parties
not to mention trust and respect.  How many people here always pay for
the shareware that they use?  The human creature is naturally avaricious and it
is only their environment (social, psychological and physical) that encourages
them to share.
 
>> But it doesn't mean that those who won't are any less capable.
> They are less capable, because are restricting themselves. There are
> certain benefits a program can only derive from being free in a FSF
> sense, (see "The Cathedral and the Bazaar") even _after_ you consider that
> the freeness is a major point in favour of the free software which the
> closed software vendor can never match.

Oh, you've really bought the party line haven't you? =)  What's next?  All
literature should be free?  I certainly know some works of literature that
could use the help of 10,000+ writers working on them =). 
---
skribe <skribe at amber.com.au>

QOTD:
        Money isn't everything, but at least it keeps the kids in touch.



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