gpl backlash?

[Jacques Chester]

Hi all;

 ... a maiden poster here. Trust me to pick a holy war to start
with, eh?

<snip>
>Seems to be a backlash against the GPL lately - slashdot has posted 
numerous
>articles on freebsd, which invariably say that "the gpl is evil (blah 
blah),
>and use freebsd because it's better.  <insert holy war here>".
>
>Anybody else noticed this (and care to comment on it)?

I've noticed it, yes. To me the issue that invariably crops up is the
viral nature of the GPL. Specifically, that inclusion of GPL'd code
means that the larger work must in turn be GPL'd.

This has pros and cons, which are both monetary *and* ideological.
And when money and belief meet head on ... well ... things get messy.
Ask the Crusaders.

Pros of viral GPL:

Ideological: It enforces freedom. User freedom is wholly ensured. The
author of the code also has legal resourse if his code is taken for use
without his permission (this could be *vaguely* hidden in a compiled
program).

Monetary: It ensures that GPL'd code will always be available for the
cost of a download - essentially free (as in free beer). The low opp.
cost of GPL'd code makes it very attractive to purchasers. Some
businesses are nervous at the possibility of their code been opened,
but may soon realise that it levels the playing field in an absolute 
way -
nobody gains advantage in a GPL'd world.

Cons of a viral GPL:

Ideological: There are some the GPL is not free at all, that is in fact
enforced, top-down "Freedom by Command", not unlike being liberated
by the Red Army. Others feel that it is too ideological, full stop.

Monetary: Some companies and people may balk at their expensively
developed code being made available in an environment where it
cannot be sold. They may also feel that they are performing free R&D
for competitors.


The above list is not comprehensive, by any means. I begin to think
that this list might wish to work towards a License HOW-TO, which
sets out several aspects of the common licenses and how to choose
your best choice. For maximum interoperability with the GNU project
and low hacker objection, for example, the GPL is the only choice.

>Signal 11

Be well;

JC.