YAOSL - Yet Another Open Source License v1.02

[Ken Arromdee]

On Fri, 22 Oct 1999, Alex Nicolaou wrote:
> 3. You may modify your copies of the software, provided that you either
> 
>     a) publicly distribute your changes as a source code patch against a
>        currently available version of the software,
> or
>     b) return your modifications to the copyright holder for
> incorporation
>        into the next publicly available version of the software.

Oog.

A clause like this means that _every time someone modifies the software_, they
have to publically distribute or return the modifications.

If I am trying to write a patch to your software, the process of programming
involves making a change, compiling, making a change, compiling, etc.  If
someone does the modify/compile cycle 50 times, for instance, they will be
obligated to distribute or return 50 different patches, one for each change.

This requirement makes it impractical for anyone to change the program at
all.

The GPL only requires that you distribute source when you distribute the
modified version, not when you make the modifications, so it doesn't have that
problem.