Still no new license -- but draft text available

[Grant Griffin]

QuoteMstr wrote:
> 
> In article <39947690.5977 at seebelow.org>, Grant Griffin wrote:
> >I'm not really "mad" (except in the "Mad Hatter" sense ;-), but the
> >problem is that the cost of the ticket is unreasonably high.  Much of
> >what I do is embedded software development.  In case you don't know,
> >"embedded software" is stuff inside little black boxes that the user
> >never really sees, and may not even know exists--you know, like the
> >stuff that makes your toaster burn the toast--or makes the next Kleenex
> >pop out of the box.  To provide users of embedded software with the
> >source code is unreasonably expensive, relative to the economics of the
> >applications.  Besides, the users don't really care anyway.  (Then
> >again, I guess the source code for a VCR might finally offer some
> >talented hacker a way to figure out how to program it.  ;-)
> 
> Seriously, how much trouble is it to put up a web site with the source
> available for download? It's not, especially for a company that will
> supposedly manufacture and distribute thousands of units of this
> appliance.

Sure, that part's easy--if you're doing it yourself.  But if you work
for The Big Corporation, just _try_ to get that done.  Oh, and try to
convince the corporate lawyers that the legal risk (as they see it) of
using GPL software is worth the benefit.  And try to convince your
management that it's worth fighting the corporate lawyers.

In fact, I once worked for a certain Big Corporation which had a policy
of outlawing use of ALL free software, even for development purposes,
because they had gotten burned on a "trojan horse" license that was
invoked when an employee used free (of cost) software.  No kidding!

Even in a saner environment, with anything other than a truly free
(BSDish) license, one quickly realizes that is is much cheaper/easier to
write it oneself than to clear all the hurdles that stem from the GPL. 
I'm not speaking of "what should be", but of "what is".

(gpl-idealists-have-evidently-never-worked-at-The-Big-Corporation)
   -ly y'rs,

=g2 
-- 
_____________________________________________________________________

Grant R. Griffin                                       g2 at dspguru.com
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