[Sussex] Thoughts On Contrubuting to the Community

[Nic James Ferrier]

Steve Dobbo Dobson <steve at dobson.org> writes:

> Nic wrote:
>> We're not a community that normally DEMANDS things from people. 
>
> We're not?  The GPL is full of terms that you *must* follow in order to
> use that software, (a point you make later).  If you don't consider them
> demands what are they then?

What the GPL says and what the community asks are two different
things. You, Steve Dobson, can probably make the SLUG community a
demanding place if you want because you're very influential and
respected here. But the community at large isn't demanding of people.

The GPL is very undemanding compared to all proprietary software legal
documents.


> You've already done much, and in many ways your post will be off putting
> to someone who can't contribute in that way.  

So now I shouldn't have replied?


> mum's.  In many ways those contributes are more important to get Linux
> to the masses than those of Linus T.

I don't disagree with this at all. I just don't like saying "hey! you
all aren't contributing and you HAVE to - I'm setting you homework."

Because just by being here people ARE contributing, even if they don't
say anything, ever. They're using GNU/Linux and that's the single most
important thing.

I guess I just don't like that sort of evangelism.

-- 
Nic Ferrier
http://www.tapsellferrier.co.uk