[nycbug-talk] Openness: was Extreme mobile BSD

[Alex Pilosov]

On Sat, 22 Dec 2007, [utf-8] Trish Lynch wrote:

> In the BSD world I am not required to be open, I don't have to share it
> with everyone, I *can* be selfish, I can make money - and that's exactly
> what Apple did. There is no better example of the BSD model at work than
> Apple's success with its later Macs and the later iPod and iPhone. The
> market penetration of BSD code is huge - but the things that make the it
> unique are not released. Nor should they be.
Right, and Miles' point is that it is of no benefit to us as community
that BSD is so successful in iPod/iPhone. It is as if bragging BSD was
used in nuclear weapons: at best, it doesn't matter, at worst, it is
giving aid to enemies of hackerdom.

> It seems like people like Miles have been spoiled by the Linux headspace
> of "everything must be free" - while I prefer "live free or die" - where
> freedom also includes the option to not have to give away things that I
> put work into and may make me money.
It isn't about free as a beer, it is about free as in speech. And yes, I
think linux kids got it more right. 

Arguing about it is pointless. History is the only that will judge us.

> You want things for free - become a GNU-Linux proponent - most people on
> a BSD list are not going to listen to someone rant about one of the
> major things that make *BSD better than Linux. If you want that - go to
> NYLUG - just because of the general population of this list is tending
> towards clue - does not mean that its your idea of clue or that we're
> going to agree that closed tools that are useful are evil. The BSD
> license in and of itself teaches us entirely different.
a) If you can't handle opposing opinions on what makes Linux better than 
BSD on occasion, sorry, unsubscribe. This isn't a bsd rah-rah list. As an 
adult and a professional, you are expected to handle criticism and learn 
from it.

b) There is such thing as community. Sure, there's no crime in making 
money. However, if apple screws the community that contributed major tools 
that help apple makey money, I don't think apple should get off the hook 
just because they use our software.

c) I want my car to have hood not welded shut. Sorry. 

-alex