Re: Free software, proprietary software and Stalin

[Arun Sharma <adsharma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Feb 28, 2000 at 10:51:33PM +0530, Raj Mathur wrote:
> Hi advocacy-type D00dz,
> 
> Ah well, once again having to explain the difference between goods and 
> software... this time I'll try to use words of one syllable :-)
> 
> Goods: a thing you can touch.
> Software: a thing you can not touch.
> 
> Goods: if I give you mine, I have less.
> Software: if I give you mine, we both have.

I understand the distinction that you're trying to make. But I simply
don't accept that distinction. We live in an economy where the two
are mixed.

I can sing a song, write a book and buy a car. What is your defense ?

> Communism: share wealth so that each has equal.

And wealth includes both the types that your describe above.

> Free software (RMS style): share wealth to increase it without
> reducing anyone else's share.

Not true. You've reduced the share of people who rely only things
of the first type. You're just arguing that if I'm a singer, I should
just give up my profession and start working on things that people 
can touch ?

> Ah well, I'm sure Arun will insist on failing to see the essential
> difference between an ice cream and a piece of code, and I shall be
> treading this ground again pretty soon :-)

As long as I can give someone a piece of code and get an ice cream,
yes.

> 
> <rambling> It really depends on your view of life: do you consider
> yourself to live in abundance, or do you consider yourself stricken by
> poverty?  If the latter, then it makes sense to grab every penny out
> of every ++ that you can put into a file and name it ``.c''.  If the
> former you can think beyond yourself and try to see the big picture.
> </rambling>

It's not about greed - as you've pointed out. It's about choice. I
can and still do - donate money/code as I wish. Not because someone
forces me to.

Let me stress again that I'm not opposed to all of Stallman's principles.
I'm just opposed to his exclusivity.

	-Arun