gpl
The birth of a new conglomerate
Submitted by libervisco on Tue, 2006-11-21 16:14. community free software gnu gpl
The wikipedia quite simply defines what is a conglomerate.
A conglomerate is a large company that consists of divisions of often seemingly unrelated businesses.
While there are often negative connotations being associated with a conglomerate, the new one which we are witnessing today is different in so many ways. This is a conglomerate you, your project or your business can be a part of to the full extent. All you have to do is observe and play by the rules. This is a conglomerate that we today call: The Community. That is its name.
How will GPL "kill" the MS-Novell deal?
Submitted by libervisco on Tue, 2006-11-21 02:22. free software gpl gplv3 novell patentsRegDeveloper has caught up with Eben Moglen to talk about the Novell's deal with Microsoft, FSF's response to it and GPLv3 as the basis of that response. Instead of litigation, which has been suggested by some on the basis of potential violation of the GPLv2, the tool which will be used against this largely negatively criticized deal is the new version of the GPL. Some believe this is just a "knee-jerk" reaction to the "threat of the day", but the clarification provided by Eben Moglen sheds a slightly different light on it. It appears that the GPLv3 is merely following its present agenda, which (with or without the MS-Novell deal) is incompatible with what MS and Novell tried to do with their patent covenant.
GPLv3: What is an alternative solution?
Submitted by libervisco on Tue, 2006-09-26 17:22. digital rights free software gpl gplv3 linuxAs suspected, the criticizing position statement by Linux kernel developers on GPLv3 which calls for the termination of the GPLv3 process is stirring the pot. Free Software foundation has issued a response claiming that the recent discussion brought some misleading information and tried to address and clarify it. Soon after Linus Torvalds released a statement of his own, this time taking a more positive approach by praising GPLv2 with an attitude of "not caring so much about why the GPLv3 is worse, but a much more positive 'Why the GPLv2 is _better_".
I would have to applaud this attempt at putting a positive spin on the discussion. At the very least it disperses a view that could potentially develop among outsiders not knowing too much about GPL and not involved in the discussion, that when questioning GPLv3, it is whole GPL (no matter the version) which is being brought in question.
GPLv3 is to preserve Free Software, not kill it
Submitted by libervisco on Mon, 2006-09-25 02:35. free software gpl gplv3 linuxA group of important Linux kernel developers have recently published a position statement on GPLv3, as reported by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols in a story with a rather alarmist title: "GPLv3 could kill open source, top Linux dev's warn". In truth, the goal is exactly and essentially just the opposite. I have little doubt that the statement will deepen the controversy already present around the new version of the most popular Free Software license, especially since Linus Torvalds criticized the license on a number of occassions before.
Unfortunately, the statement doesn't strike me as very constructive in regards to the GPLv3 development process. Indeed, it calls for its termination under a rather drastic prediction of what should happen otherwise, " balkanization, which will be manifested by distributions being forced to fork various packages in order to get consistent licenses, has the potential to inflict massive collateral damage upon our entire ecosystem and jeopardize the very utility and survival of Open Source."
Unfortunately, the statement doesn't strike me as very constructive in regards to the GPLv3 development process. Indeed, it calls for its termination under a rather drastic prediction of what should happen otherwise, " balkanization, which will be manifested by distributions being forced to fork various packages in order to get consistent licenses, has the potential to inflict massive collateral damage upon our entire ecosystem and jeopardize the very utility and survival of Open Source."
