Subj : Re: GNU Public Licences Revisited (again)
To   : comp.programming
From : Rob Thorpe
Date : Tue Aug 23 2005 12:09 pm

Joe Butler wrote:
> This from that page:
>
> "Free software is a matter of freedom: people should be free to use software
> in all the ways that are socially useful"
>
> The problem is that a commercial app is not given the freedom to use 'free
> software', even thought it may be of great social value.  Unfortunatly, the
> person/team that want to produce this software don't have the time to
> develop an app that is given away for free, and they can't give up their day
> jobs just yet.

That's not the point.  The intention of the FSF, and the GPL is overtly
revolutionary, it intends to displace all other software.

Both don't concern themselves with the social value of actions in the
present, it takes the long view.  If proprietry software were allowed
to use GPLed software then this would strengthen proprietry software,
which is contrary to the long term aim of destroying it.

For what it's worth I with their aims, but I don't think it would be
useful to discuss it here.  This forum is about programming not
politics, gnu.misc.discuss is more appropriate.

Read RMS to understand more:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/shouldbefree.html

.