From: David Naseby <david.naseby@...>
Date: 2004-08-06T10:00:32+09:00
Subject: Re: Amazing GUI toolkit with visual designer & Ruby Integration

> -----Original Message-----
> From: H. Simpson [mailto:nospam@asdlkfjhasldkjfsadlfhskadjfahsldfks.com]
> Reverse-engineering is only one aspect. LGPL forces us to ALLOW
> MODIFICATIONS to our program by users.
>
> Imagine selling a version of software limited to 2 CPUs to a bank.  And
> then the bank modifies your software to run on 32 CPU servers.

Imagine the bank asking for support afterwards. I don't really see you
supporting a "rogue" version of an app, therefore they strand themselves,
alone and adrift. So I don't see that happening at all.

> Or selling a standard edition of your product at a huge discount and
> then having customers modify it to work just like the professional or
> enterprise versions.

If they can modify it this far, they probably didn't need to buy it. Most
customers don't have the tech skills. And again, they cut off any chance of
ever receiving support. If they do all this, they are then stuck when you
release an update, as they have to integrate it all. Generally, its too big
a problem to even imagine starting down that path.

>
> Soo....statically link your commercial app to Fox-Toolkit and you're
> required to allow reverse engineering of your app and allow users to
> modify your app (per Section 6 of LGPL).

...And thereby, sign the software project death warrant themselves. Of
course, this is just a hypothetical, and it should be your choice, and I
don't want to argue your needs and experiences versus my own, because its
fruitless. But I'm just stating that my straw man can kick your straw man's
butt ;)

David
http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~naseby/