From: Tony Williams 

Geo. wrote:
> "Tony Williams"  wrote in message
> news:3dfb7757{at}w3.nls.net...
[snip]
>>
>>I just wish Stallman would stop pretending that he invented the idea and
>>somehow has the right to redefine the word "free" to mean
whatever he
>>chooses it to mean.
>>
>>The only free software is public domain.
>>
>
>
> I still think stallman had a real stroke of genius with the GPL. It's the
> only way to write free software and ban commercial software from absorbing
> it thus creating a true competitive situation between the two. That's
> something that didn't exist before and it is probably the biggest real
> difference between the current free/open movement and the one that has
> existed for years.

No doubt that it does exactly what he intends, but I hate the abuse of the
language. Also, I'm not at all convinced that the GPL is appropriate for
all software. System software and development tools, perhaps, but I don't
see the benefit for in-house applications. Your point about competition is
a good one though, because the existence of GPL code which the shrink-wrap
programmers can't use forces them to innovate, and vice-versa for the GPL
coders.

--
Tony

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