The OSD and commercial use

Robin 'Roblimo' Miller robin at roblimo.com
Sat Nov 23 11:11:34 UTC 2002


>
>
>But the user still wants to be able to treat all products the same. It may be 
>irrational, but that's the way it is. One of the attributes of Free and Open 
>Source Software is that the user can ideed treat software like a chair, and 
>not get sued for doing so.
>

It is totally rational from the user's viewpoint. My neighbor Mac spent 
his working years as a soldier and a policeman. "Mr. Law and Order," you 
could call him, but he's also a generous guy. Mac gives a fair amount of 
(Windows)  software to other senior citizens around here. Tell him he's 
doing something wrong and he'll laugh at you. He bought that software 
and paid for it, so it's his to do with as he likes. Sharing it is 
just... neighborly.

Mac has been playing with Linux out of curiosity, but so far he sees no 
reason to switch from Windows. He has a large collection of Windows 
software (bought or traded for) he hates to give up.

- Robin





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