Openmoko keyboard mockup

[Carsten Haitzler (The Rasterman)]

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:34:28 +0100 "leonardo at lilik.it" <leonardo at lilik.it>
babbled:

> 
> Hi Raster,
> thanks for the explanation.
> 
> > anyway. i hope this helps people understand how it works. someone can throw
> > this onto the wiki if they like. this is the code i wrote for the illume kbd
> 
> I've summarized this in a page:
> 
> http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Illume_keyboard
> 
> it's cool, you should really patent it!
> :-)))

i'd rather not. 1. trollt.. err.. nokia deserve thanks for the core inspiration
and initial work on their one - i didn't know how the code worked until later
but i nutted out how it probably should work just by poking at it. so if anyone
deserves a patent - it's them. 2. i'd rather this be well publicised and "out
there" code in the public eye - so the idea is widespread and well known - thus
serves as prior art pretty much making it impossible for someone to come along
and patent the idea and make things a pain. get the ideas out there in code -
in the public eye with a trail of history so it's available for everyone to see
and use. if someone implements a better kbd but steals the same idea - i'm
sticking my thumbs up going "good on-ya mate!" i want users and the community
to benefit. 3. i fundamentally disagree with software patents - or at least the
way they have been implemented. the vast majority i have seen are neither novel
nor "non-obvious to someone skilled in the art". most are incredibly mundane
straightforward things to "someone skilled in the art" and the system has been
abused to further greed and misplace credit in the hands of those with more
lawyers, not those who innovate the most or the best. be that as it may - the
system is there and we are stuck with it. i'm not a crusader trying to bring it
down - i don't have the time. got code to write and ideas to make happen :) but
i hope in my little way i can shake my fist at the system and go "here... prior
art. take that!". i'll let others fight the good fight in trying to reform the
patent system. i'm just rattling my chains and moaning in my corner...
'brains! brains! braiiiiiins! need moooooore braaaaaaaaains!' :)

-- 
------------- Codito, ergo sum - "I code, therefore I am" --------------
The Rasterman (Carsten Haitzler)    raster at rasterman.com