From: Daniel Carrera <dcarrera@...>
Date: 2003-07-11T05:44:48+09:00
Subject: Re: My brief and torrid affair with Ruby.

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On Fri, Jul 11, 2003 at 05:32:56AM +0900, Paul Brannan wrote:

> Does this mean that smallpox is not a virus, since the only way for me
> to get it is to drive to the CDC and steal a smallpox tube?

Don't split hairs.
The smallpox is a virus because you *can* get it from someone else.  The 
fact that smallpox is very uncommon today does not alter its fundamental 
nature.

> IMO, the GPL is like virus in the sense that it can reproduce, with the
> aid of an external source (this is exactly how a real virus works; it
> reproduces using its host).

A virus and the GPL do not spread in the same way.
A virus imposes itself onto an external cell regardless of whether that 
cell wants it or not.
Your work will be GPL only if you want it to be.

> In that same sense the BSD license is also a virus (it spreads via 
> word-of-mouth),

Which proves that your definition of virus is not very useful.  By your 
definition, people are viruses (I can't reproduce without a female, and a 
female is an external organism).  By your definition, opinions are 
viruses, and so is heat energy.  You have a wrong definition of virus.

> That said, the choice of the word "virus" is a very poor choice.

I agree.  It is incorrect.

> The point of using the word is to spread FUD and stir up ire in GPL
> advocates.

I agree.

> Using it to describe the GPL (or any other religious document) should 
> be avoided whenever possible.

You must have a very weird definition of religous if you think that the 
GPL is a religious document.  RMS is an atheist btw, and I am a 
Christian.

- -- 
Daniel Carrera         | OpenPGP fingerprint:
Graduate TA, Math Dept | 6643 8C8B 3522 66CB D16C D779 2FDD 7DAC 9AF7 7A88
UMD  (301) 405-5137    | http://www.math.umd.edu/~dcarrera/pgp.html
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