[Sussex] GNU, things to come?

[Steve Dobson]

On 25 Nov 2002  The ol' tealeg wrote:
> Steve wrote:
> > As I see it the Law is not there to tell "the people" how to behave; our
> > moreals do that.  The Law is there to define the rules and punishment
thereof
> > of those members of socity that do not want to follow decent human
behavour.
> > [my flamesuit is on Geoff(Sarah) :-)].  
>
> Specifically you're right in terms of criminal law ... <snip>

I knew that was comming :-)

> > Likewise, I use the GPL because if forces users of the software to
> > contribute back into the community - which is the correct and
> > rightous thing to do.  But I do see the argument from the
> > other camp that the GPL is like a virus.
>
> The GPL could be described as viral - but this quote is usually used by
> people who have financial associations with William H Gates III and his
> company.  The negative conetations of "virus" and "cancer" are
> consistent with the campaign of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) that
> Microsoft have waged against the GPL - they rely heavily on the markets
> lack of knowledge - people are easily scared off from things they don't
> know.
<snip>

I've hurd that comment from the BSD license camp - or are you saying that
Kirk M, Eric A, ... are pals of WHG?  Their view is that the GPL puts on
restrintions and is therefore not "free".  The BSD license doesn't prohibit
you from changing the software and marketing it (for a price).  Discloser
is not a requirement.
 
> > As time goes one I think we'll see more and more companies adopting OSS.
> > In fact I think that this century will see a vast change in the way
companies
> > do (and are allowed to do) business.  The scandles on Wall St. receitly
shows
> > what happens when things get out of hand.  As the last century was to
public
> > health (at least in the West) so this century will be to business
practices.
>
> Here here!
>
> THe CBI are this very day discussing the issue of "trust" in business -
> they note that the British public are deeply mistrustful of British
> business - and more so of American Business.  Everything in this world
> will be tolerated until it becomes too painful to accept, in the last
> year business crossed that line. 

<snip>

> I beleive that the shift to LINUX (whilst primarily driven by cost in
> the business world) comes with a change in attitude amongst people -
> LINUX users are people who will not sit by and be soundly rogered by
> monopolistic corporations.  Like anything else in nature, if you try and
> opress us, we'll find a way around you - and a jolly good job to!

To quote from above "Here here!".  I agree, and as more people advance up
the structure that have used and found the advantages of OSS will see 
Linux, FreeBSD and the like grow.  The future might be better than the
present.  But we must campain for it.

Steve