Re: GPL v3? Other license options?

[Christopher Murtagh <..hidden..>]

On Saturday 18 August 2007 13:47:32 Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> As a core member, if it were up to me, we would ditch GPL all together.

 Fortunately IMO, we're not able to do so without a total re-write of the 
software.

> I don't subscribe to the ideology present within it nor do I drink RMS
> brand kool aid.

 Ok, sorry, the 'kool aid' remark does go beyond simply stating your point of 
view, as you are branding the people who like the GPL (myself for one) as 
cultists and delusional. I may be delusional, but I don't belong to any cult.

> Does that mean that I am anti FOSS software? Hardly, in fact you would
> be hard pressed to find a larger advocate. What is does mean, is that I
> am a realist and I am pragmatic about it.

 I'm a big fan of the GPL for these exact same reasons. The GPL is the reason 
why there is so much corporate support for the Linux kernel. If the kernel 
was using the BSD license for example, IBM, HP, SGI, etc. would all have to 
worry that one of their competitors would come up with the 'Next big thing' 
(tm) and be able to run away with the milk, the cows and the farm to boot. 
The GPL is what protects everyone from this - it puts all the companies at 
the same level, and it turns the software (the OS anyway) into a commodity 
rather than something they can hold everyone for ransom with.

> Software is just a tool. It is not a political fight.

 Everything that is worthwhile that involves groups of people is political, 
anything not political is personal, trivial or not worth discussing.

 Now, having said that, I don't see any particular reason at the moment to 
move to GPL v3. It's new, and it rarely pays to be an early adopter unless 
you're doing cutting edge stuff - and frankly there's nothing cutting edge 
about accounting or simple web apps. So, I think we're best to stay the 
course and let the GPL v3 take hold (or not), discuss the option as something 
to consider (or not) for the future and leave it at that.

Cheers

Chris