Re: [Pan-users] Re: OT: GNU/Linux Was: clearing headers?

[David Kelly]

On Thu, Oct 09, 2008 at 10:30:06AM +0000, Duncan wrote:
> Yavor Doganov <address@hidden> posted
> address@hidden, excerpted below, on  Thu, 09 Oct 2008
> 08:53:31 +0000:
> 
> >> Yet I don't see the big deal about GNU/Linux, either.
> > 
> > Don't you agree with the reasons at
> > http://gnu.org/gnu/why-gnu-linux.html?
> 
> Within context, no.  It'd be a very good thing if distributions better 
> differentiated free and unfree and let people know the difference, but 
> that has little to do with whether they call it Linux or GNU/Linux.
> 
> >> And no, I'm /not/ going to start calling my particular subset of what
> >> my distribution makes available
> >> Gentoo/~amd64/KDE/X.org/GNU/Linux!
> > 
> > You don't have to.
> > http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html#many
> 
> ... And I say they get credit if they wish it, in the individual 
> applications.  That's appropriate.  Demanding the entire distribution 
> give them credit in the form of the name chosen, is not, and strikes me 
> as very similar to the old SugarCRM style license, considered non-free 
> due to the requirement for logos, etc, on the various resulting content 
> pages (it's a web app, the logo was required on the web pages) to 
> identify them.  Were the GNU in GNU/Linux to be legally required, it 
> would be in exactly the same position.

I agree. Its akin to demanding Pan be known as GNU/Pan because its built
with gcc and family. Neither RSF nor his FSF created Linux. GNU tools
helped, but so did many other sources. Demanding this level of credit
for Linux is an excellent example of the not-free nature of FSF/GNU
software.

A wise man once taught me to watch for one of the most effective means
of telling a lie: be the first to make the claim then repeat it over and
over to hammer it home. People believe what they repeatedly hear without
thinking. FSF does this by claiming their software is free. While there
is no monetary cost up front to use GPL software, GPL is far from "free"
or even "freedom."

-- 
David Kelly N4HHE, address@hidden
========================================================================
Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.