The Toll Roads of Open Source

[Manfred Schmid]

Ladies & Gentlemen:

We take the freedom to make a final statement concerning our requests.

We see that emotions have gone high. 

While that is a good indication of the current problems (we feel we
address one) and of the current fears or other strong feelings of some
of the parties involved (which is normal, when new ideas arrive), any
further public discussions on this list will lead to nowhere but a waste
of time and energy.

The frontiers are clear and the critical questions asked. Only the OSI
Board is in the position to take the discussion a step further on this
list.

Following that statement we will therefore not reply to answers,
questions, mails, flames over that list until

a) OSI board members ask us to do so
b) OSI board members make an official statement regarding our requests

Feel free however to contact us directly, we do not to hide behind
anonymous email accounts and appreciate any serious input. We are
personally available at the Linux Expo in Paris as well as the Linux
World in New York (both end of this month).

Furthermore, for everybody interested, a mailing list is available at
ipl at vshop.org (majordomo) to direct ideas, questions etc. to.

Following the complicated stuff on licensing, legal opinions,
interpretations of OSD #1-x, philosophical stuff about restrictions and
freedom, language problems and the like we would like to get back to
basics. 

Here is our announcement about the 

<Toll Roads of Open Source>

In a free country, you are free to travel where you like on public
roads. 

Some roads are toll roads and you have to pay a price. Still they are
publicly accessible and you have a right to drive on them if you pay the
price to the investor.

Same scheme applies with IPLed software. IPL is meant to be such a
public toll road in contrast to all the private roads, where the owner
permits or forbids usage according to his current set of preferences.

While such toll roads may be a pain in the neck sometimes, there is a
clear reason why they are there and why they are used, although people
have sufficient alternatives. 

And they do not cut people's freedom to drive whereever they want.

</Toll Roads of Open Source>

Many people will not like them and use different roads. They have the
right to do so. Many people will use these roads and enjoy the
investments made.

Our request for approval stands and we feel our roads are part of the
publicly accessible network. We will wait for official OSI Board
statements.

If the OSI Board comes to the conclusion, that toll roads generally do
not qualify as a part of their roadmaps, we will regret this and build
these roads.

If the OSI Board decides, that toll roads could qualify, we will
eventually change our terms and conditions in a way and build these
roads

Although some of you might not believe it, we appreciated any
substantial input we got and we would like to thank all participiants
for their efforts. 

Best Regards

Manfred Schmid

-- 

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