From: Jeremy Henty <onepoint@...>
Date: 2007-10-15T23:55:01+09:00
Subject: Re: MIT vs. Ruby/GPL License

On 2007-10-15, Chad Perrin <perrin@apotheon.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 15, 2007 at 01:35:03PM +0900, Jeremy Henty wrote:
>> On 2007-10-15, Jon Lambert <jlsysinc@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > Jeremy Henty wrote:
>> >> 
>> >> The GPL gives the *user* *complete* freedom. It restricts *other*
>> >> activities, such as distributing a derived work, but it imposes no
>> >> restrictions on simply using the software.
>> >
>> > Using that limited definition of user, one who "simply uses the
>> > software", most proprietary licenses also give the user complete
>> > freedom.
>> 
>> Including the freedom to install and run the software *without* paying
>> anything for it?  I think not.  And at my last office job I didn't see
>> any proprietary software whose license did not restrict either the
>> number of installation hosts or the number (total or concurrent) of
>> users.  GPL software has no such usage restrictions.
> 
> Considering we were talking about "freedom", 

Chad, *I* was responding to someone's direct reply to one of my
comments.  It's not relevant that you thought "we" were talking about
something else.

> ... I didn't think we were talking about "free cost".

The right to do some things for free is a pretty important freedom.
Or would you be happy having to pay $1000 to vote?  Anyway, I
mentioned (and you conveniently ignored) several other freedoms.  And
other posters have mentioned more.

> The user does not necessarily get "complete freedom" (for instance,
> I'm in the odd position of having a bunch of GPLed software on a
> shelf that I cannot legally give away for free,

Irrelevant.  My point was that *usage* is not restricted.  And it
isn't.

> I'm just trying to stick to the cold, hard facts of the matter.

You most definitely are *not*, otherwise you would not have accused me
of:

> ... simply applying the blanket term Freedom to all things GPL and
> defend it to your last breath -- as you seem to be gearing up to do.

Why don't *you* "stick to the cold, hard facts of the matter." rather
than spreading rumours about what I "seem to be gearing up to do."?
Meanwhile I'll stick to defending what I actually *said*.  Life's too
short to waste time on other people's silly fantasies about my
motives.

Regards, 

Jeremy Henty