[Wylug-admin] URGENT APPEAL FOR VOLUNTEER SPEAKERS

[Mark P. Conmy]

On Wed, 4 Oct 2006, Phil Driscoll wrote:
> 
> No thoughts on a talk, but I think that general open debates (on the
> few occasions we have had them) have gone down very well, especially
> when chaired and guided by Dave. Apart from dreaming up a subject for
> debate, there's none of the pressure associated with getting hold of a
> speaker.
>
> If we come up with a starter subject for next Monday to get the ball
> rolling, we could always ask for suggestions on the discuss list on
> the run up to the meeting each month.
>
> If that idea is deemed to be crap, I could do a demo of Xara on Linux,
> and I'm sure that Ben Fowler would chip in with technical comments as
> he has done a lot of work on getting the project running on a Mac.

 	Linus' confusion over GPLv2
or:
 	GPLv3 subtitled "The FSF landgrab"

to have a heated discussion on the pros and cons of Free Software and
those who use the GPL but don't necessarily buy into the Church of
Stallman?

I'm only half kidding; given the exchanges (direct and indirect) between
RMS/Eben Moglen and Linus, it's clear that the assumption exists that
all GPL users are Free Software advocates.  Linus clearly isn't, and
sees the GPLv3 as a divisive issue that could cleave whole projects
apart; if a project like Linux (the kernel) contains a whole spectrum of
views from hardline FSF advocates through to more laissee faire folk who
simply want their code to be visible, does the creation of a
non-backwardly-compatible version of the GPL create the potential for
trouble.

Mind you, just explaining what GPLv2 and GPLv3 actually _are_ might be
enough for a discussion!

Mark