Use the Source Luke

[Ben Finney]

Jack Diederich <jackdied at gmail.com> writes:

> I think you overestimate how common it used to be to carry around the
> sourcecode for the software you use compared to now;  In the past it
> wasn't even always possible - if the Sun cc compiler core dumps you
> have no recourse to code.

Note that Raymond is speaking specifically in the context of free
software, where the license is by definition permitting free
redistribution of the source code.

So it doesn't cover the case of things like the Sun C compiler, either
now or in the past.

> Promoting the idea of doing it is good because it /is/ a novel idea to
> many people. Promoting the idea of making it extremely easy via
> documentation links is good because it is new as well.

When one notes that the context is specifically free software projects,
the promotion of reading the source code is even more a good idea.

-- 
 \     “This [Bush] Administration is not sinking. This Administration |
  `\   is soaring. If anything they are rearranging the deck chairs on |
_o__)                     the Hindenburg.” —Steven Colbert, 2006-04-29 |
Ben Finney