Subj : Re: GNU Public Licences Revisited (again) To : comp.programming From : William Date : Tue Sep 27 2005 11:28 am "Antoon Pardon" wrote in message news:slrndjhr4o.2t4.apardon@rcpc42.vub.ac.be... > Op 2005-09-26, William schreef : > > > > Since we both have equal access to the available evidence, > > but only one of us has asserted that they've studied it, > > I kind of think you do prefer your belief system. > > You think I should be convinced just because you > assert you have studied the evidence? No, I think you might question your belief because you haven't. That's not the same thing as being convinced. > Are you convinced each time someone asserts he has > studied the evidence? No, but it makes me wonder if I'm right and I go check it out (unless I don't care, then I say I'm convinced and they go away :-) > > By your > > own assertion, anything I feed you will be biased, but you > > don't seem inclined to do any looking on your own. > > You didn't give me much to go on, for looking things > up. It was your assertion based on your opinion. How did you form that opinion if you hadn't already checked at least a few sources to see if it held up? Or at least encountered the idea somewhere in a context that seemed authoritative. (Authority isn't proof, but it is still supporting evidence.) > > You made the original assertion, it's been challenged, > > your turn. Were I in your position, I'd have hopped over > > to Google and checked out a few high profile inventors > > and/or inventions and come up with a little support. > > Well what about Adolphe Sax? Not bad, although I'll point out that his family business was musical instruments. (Which is a big gray area: people who love their work - would they still do it if it paid significantly less than they expect?) > My origininal remark was a protest against the notion > that without money, motivation for inventing was as > good as impossible. Granted, and I agree. However, the general tenor of the discussions is whether that is sufficient to provide a decent flow of inventions from which society can benefit, or does society benefit more by appealing to inventors' interests in making a profit. I think we've pretty much killed this portion of the topic, time to move on to the next off-topic topic :-) -Wm .