GNU discussion (was re:Free your phone)

["Andraž 'ruskie' Levstik"]

On 3:30:45 pm 2007-01-27 "David Schlesinger" <David.Schlesinger at palmsource.com> wrote:

> >This is simply untrue.
> 
> The fact is, as originally stated, that the BSD preceded the GPL (by
> two years or ten)

http://www.free-soft.org/gpl_history/

I think they were at most at the same time not one preceded the other.
GPLv2 was year 1991 and from what I can read the GPLv1 was first mentioned
in 1988. So unless we are talking about a specific version which from my
reading we are not.

> and that "free" or "open source" software certainly
> existed well before the FSF did. I received system distributions for
> DECsystem-10s in the 70s, entirely in source form...

Are wa talking about you having this system at home or was this
at your workplace/university where the university/work probably payed a
license fee to get this similar to what todays commercial products have.

If my history isn't wrong if you bought a license from a company for the
software many companies included the source code(this is pre-m$) for no
charge or a bit extra.

> 
> >The freedom to become less free is a paradox.
> 
> Now, _this_ is simply untrue. I thought I'd let it slide the first
> time, but it seems to be becoming a slogan with you, so allow me to
> correct your misapprehensions.
> 
> A trivial counter-example, familiar to any law student who's gotten
> past his first couple of days of contract law: As an adult, you are
> _free_ to sign any (presumably valid) contract you choose to. Once
> you've signed, however, you've abandoned the freedom to take or leave
> the conditions placed upon you by that contract.
> 
> So, where's the "paradox", Mr. Crossland?
> 
> (You've let us know you're not a developer; it's becoming clear you
> have no greater level of understanding of legal issues.)

I won't comment on this as IANAL.

--
Andraž "ruskie" Levstik
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Geek/Hacker/Tinker

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