Re: Brave GNU world about the word "virus"

[Raj Mathur <raju@xxxxxxx>]

I think I need once again to go into the difference between having a
bank account and software (stop groaning, you out there!)

I fail to understand why people insist on equating free software and
the GPL with their right to make money.  Software is software.  Money
is money.  If you share the one, it increases.  If you share the
other, it decreases, or at best remains the same.  Keeping atta for
your lean periods is not called hoarding.  Keeping atta which is meant 
to be distributed in a godown and waiting for the price to rise is
called hoarding.

Perhaps the Linux-India site should have a link to Merriam-Webster on
the Web for quick lookups of common words? <grinning, ducking and
running very fast>

As far as the enforceability of free software is concerned, you don't
need any support except copyright from the state, whether it be
Capitalism, Communism, whatever-ism -- as far as I know the GPL works
the same in all countries with any pretence to a legal infrastructure.
You might just be pleasantly surprised if you go beyond labels
(Communism, freedom, etc) and look at ideas on their individual merit.
The habit of classifying and dismissing (Oh, it's just another
rapidly-approaching meteorite on an earth-intercept orbit, now that we
know what it is let's ignore it) can be very dangerous!

In other words, I don't want Oracle to give away their software --
I'll wait until a reasonably functional free equivalent is present,
and wait for Oracle to die, as will most companies which insist on
taking from the community without giving anything back in return.

Regards,

-- Raju

>>>>> "Arun" == Arun Sharma <adsharma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

    Arun> On Fri, Dec 17, 1999 at 08:01:22AM +0530, Raj Mathur wrote:
    >> Uh, are we still talking about this?

    Arun> I don't think this one is going to stop - as long as people
    Arun> keep writing about it.

    >>  And since you asked the question (I presume it's not
    >> rhetorical), the answer is Yes, people's freedom to hoard
    >> anything should be limited, whether it's atta or software.

    Arun> I work hard during the summer and stock pile my atta to
    Arun> enjoy it at a later point. Why should I yield it to some
    Arun> lazy bum who spends all his time sleeping ?

    Arun> It's *my* software and I decide if I want to give it away
    Arun> :-) Another point: your point of view can never be enforced
    Arun> legally, except in a communist country. What I'm preaching
    Arun> is already legal in most countries and will remain that way.

    Arun> Closed source software will continue as long as magicians
    Arun> don't give away their tricks, books sell for money and I can
    Arun> have a personal bank account.

    Arun> Till the next such article from the GNU project,

    Arun> 	-Arun