Hi Georg,
On Thu, 28 Jun 2001, Georg C. F. Greve wrote:
If we are to give it a "pure GNU/Linux" stamp, it must contain Free Software only. So every package on the distribution must qualify according to the Free Software definition of the FSF.
This is good. We should also get the distributers to list the four freedoms of free-software on the cover of their boxes. Most people think about software with only 8bits of their mental operating system, so they need information in "sound bytes"! Public insistence on free-software will only come when people think the concept is "so simple it's obvious".
We should get the major GNU/Linux distributers involved. Many of them pay programmers to write important pieces of freesoftware that are being prorietized by Caldera and SuSe. (Think Red Hat Package Managers etc...) They must be pretty pissed off to see somebody taking and not giving back! "The productive cycle" and "The freedom of users" should be key advertising features.
We could also get people whose code is incorporated in Caldera's distribution to write to Caldera saying that in their view, Caldera's use of their code in a proprietary distribution is illegal. Since these authors own the copyright on their GPL'ed software, their letters clarify the intentions of the license. This removes any questions of interpretation of the GPL. All further use of that author's software by Caldera would be indefensible, if we take them to court.
We should also get those authors to publish their letters to Caldera in major newspapers and magazines. This will deter users from buying Caldera, and get news coverage for the principles of Free-Software. (We must emphasise to the press that Caldera is not a Free-Software company. It is a proprietary software company, which is trying to take over other people's work for their own.)
The thing that would kill Caldera would be if Linus Torsvalds were to bar them from using the "Linux" brand name. The catch is, he isn't a free-software person at heart, much more Opensource (judging from his published opinions). We would need to enlist the help of members of the Linux kernel development team, and possibly the OSI to persuade him. Does anybody have contacts who would help here?
Nick Hockings.
OP mailuser, I think we'd make a great couple - we disagree on everything :) Nothing personal :)
On Thu, 28 Jun 2001, you wrote:
Hi Georg,
On Thu, 28 Jun 2001, Georg C. F. Greve wrote:
If we are to give it a "pure GNU/Linux" stamp, it must contain Free Software only. So every package on the distribution must qualify according to the Free Software definition of the FSF.
This is good. We should also get the distributers to list the four freedoms of free-software on the cover of their boxes.
1) I think that this might be kinda aggressive.. 2) Ppl want pretty pictures like on SuSE for friendlyness, and a horrible dark logo like Redhat for professionalness. Whats a load of text about freedoms gonna show?
Most people think about software with only 8bits of their mental operating system, so they need information in "sound bytes"! Public insistence on free-software will only come when people think the concept is "so simple it's obvious".
I'm a bit unclear who 'public' are... joe public? they won't care. business public? hmm, small companies won't care, big businesses will care if it makes them look good. Nerd public - these can be persuaded, and their wills bent to ours.
Ppl don't care about tangible things like child slave labour farms, poverty, etc etc. We become immune to things when ppl try to ram it down our throats.
When was the last time you decided to not buy some goods because they have terriable working conditions etc., or decided not to wear designer gear out of ethics, or even changed your mind about buying nestle chocolate etc because of where the coco beans come from ( child slave labour farms)
And yet these things get tv. coverage, and are things ppl will say they care about.
But joe public dosen't give a damn about these things. </rant> <summary> The only ppl we have a hope of changing are the nerds and geeks out there. </summary>
We should get the major GNU/Linux distributers involved. Many of them pay programmers to write important pieces of freesoftware that are being prorietized by Caldera and SuSe. (Think Red Hat Package Managers etc...) They must be pretty pissed off to see somebody taking and not giving back! "The productive cycle" and "The freedom of users" should be key advertising features.
We could also get people whose code is incorporated in Caldera's distribution to write to Caldera saying that in their view, Caldera's use of their code in a proprietary distribution is illegal. Since these authors own the copyright on their GPL'ed software, their letters clarify the intentions of the license. This removes any questions of interpretation of the GPL. All further use of that author's software by Caldera would be indefensible, if we take them to court.
Bah, leave caldera alone. Everyone goes on about making money off of support contracts etc. and then when a company attempts to do just that, everyone gets on their backs. The software is available elsewhere, so they are not restricting the software, just providing another alternative.
Whats the difference between this, and caldera giving away redhat and charging for a support contract which cost more per seat, and perhaps gave the user a bit more for their money by bundling some other programs.
Let them try, and good luck to them I say.
We should also get those authors to publish their letters to Caldera in major newspapers and magazines. This will deter users from buying Caldera, and get news coverage for the principles of Free-Software. (We must emphasise to the press that Caldera is not a Free-Software company. It is a proprietary software company, which is trying to take over other people's work for their own.)
Bah, to take over implies
The thing that would kill Caldera would be if Linus Torsvalds were to bar them from using the "Linux" brand name. The catch is, he isn't a free-software person at heart, much more Opensource (judging from his published opinions).
Thank god - imagine the press, linux attacks a free software company. The press will call them free software no matter how much you try to show them otherwise, and ppl won't understand.
For a rl example, look at how much fuss was kicked up when linus was forced to take action against a .. porn company or something, that used the name linux.
We would need to enlist the help of members of the Linux kernel development team, and possibly the OSI to persuade him. Does anybody have contacts who would help here?
him being linus? Lol, no way u'll convince him - he hangs around RMS for god sake.
Nick Hockings.
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