From: boscomonkey@...
Date: 2005-11-18T09:32:18+09:00
Subject: Ruby not commercial, right?

I'm trying to organize a Ruby Meetup group in San Francisco
(http://ruby.meetup.com/6/) and applied to the SF Public Library to use
one of their small meeting rooms. They turned us down because they have
deemed Ruby to be a product for commercial gain. The analogy that the
SFPL contact person used is that one can walk into a bookstore and find
a book on Ruby; I countered that one can also find a book on
childrearing.

The SFPL Meeting Room Community Use Rules (http://sfpl.org/libraryl
ocations/mtgrms/rules.htm) states [emphasis mine]:

    "No outside group or organization using a Library meeting room
shall: 1) charge an admission fee or solicit donations, 2) sell or
***promote any material or service for private profit or gain***, 3)
engage in fund raising activities, (excepting those groups who have
contracted with the Library to do so in support of Library programs and
activities)."

I'm arguing that because Ruby is an Open Source project, there is no
private profit or gain when Ruby is utilized versus when another
programming language is utilized. As opposed to using Microsoft Excel
versus Lotus 1-2-3; in which case, Microsoft stands to make money from
Excel licenses.

Can anyone think of better arguments? I think mine is a tad subtle for
non-computer people.

-- Bosco