Ethics (OT) (was Re: Antiwar License)

[Sergey Goldgaber]

I am replying to your message in two parts.  One posted to the OSI
License Discussion list, and the other to the OSSEthics list, to try to
keep the heavily political aspects of this very political issue off the
OSI list as much as possible.

--- Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com> wrote:
>
> I'm unclear on how a proprietary licence could cast open-source
> software in a more favourable light with the public.  

I have recieved several suggestions, on the lists and
in private about how an Antiwar License may be written
so that it is open source.

However, even if it winds up technically proprietary
because of incompatibilities with sections 5 or 6 of
the OSD, I see no reason why it couldn't retain
other aspects characteristic of open source, such as
the distribution of source code, allowing derivative
works, etc.  A technically proprietary Antiwar License
retaining many characteristics of open source would
reflect positively on open source in so far as they
share many similar characteristics.

> _Are_ you going to get around to writing a licence?
> So far,

"Get around to"?  "So far"?  It has only been
a couple of days!  I have been swamped by email,
in public and in private, and I have done my best
to respond to everyone, thoughtfully, and in detail.
This has taken me absolutely all of my free time.

Also, I have never written a license.  I came on this
list asking for assistance in how such a license might
be worded.  I have recieved a few general suggestions,
and I will follow up on them as I have the time.
However, I can't whip out a license out of thin air,
especially as I'm inexperienced at doing so.
Therefore, I will research what I can and do my best.

> all I've seen you post is, as you say, political discussion

People have replied to me concerning political issues,
so I give them the courtesey of a reply.  I do feel
that a political discussion on this issue is important,
even though the OSI Discussion List is obviously not
the best place for it.  I have started to post my
replies to the OSSEthics list only, even when the
politically themed replies originate on the OSI
Discussion List.

> -- followed by inspiring others to conduct more of the same.

I do encourage everyone to consider and discuss ethical
and political issues, but not on this list, if possible.
Yet people still reply to me on this list on political
issues.  I do my best and try to keep the two seperate,
but don't always succeed.

> It would be much easier to discuss your _licence_, here
> or elsewhere, if you wrote one.

I agree.  Hopefully something will be forthcoming, and
the sooner the better.  In the meantime, I have
happened upon something called the "Hacktivismo
Enhanced-Source Software License Agreement",
http://hacktivismo.com/news/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=17
which seems to be an attempt at tackling similar
themes.

Perhaps I will use that, perhaps I will modify it, or
try one of the other suggestions from the list
memebers.  Or maybe I'll opt not to release my software
at all, as the most reliable way of keeping out of the
hands of the military.


  --Sergey


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