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OSS is considered with moral and ethical issues raised by GPL. OSS is really sharing its sotfware with the community who reqiure it. We realised its advantage. If our customer could not be able to make head or tail out of the source code, they defenitely will approach the nearest approachable software worker. If our project is funded by a social body, we could have share it with community for free of cost. Since it did not happen, we have to share it with community for a price.
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If the price offered by OSS is unaffordable, they can approach our customer. Same was the advise we have given to Nest when they approached us. Now for Mayyanad Service Co-op bank Nest has given the same quotation as ours. They might have received it from some of our customer. OSS is not at all bothered of re-distributing the product by its customer under GPL. But as a society we cannot provide our product free of cost. Our policy is distribute it under GPL for a price.
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I think above two para gives an idea of OSS's stand.
I started this thread with the statement that primary issue is not whether OSS is giving code or not.OSS is not doing anything against the rules of GNU GPL. But remember its more than a license. The stand of OSS is misinforming the people. They never talk of the ethical reason behind Free Software. For OSS its just a cost effective solution and Free Software provides a better business avenue.
I agree with Dileep that custom software need not be under Free Software license. May be OSS's work is of that kind. This thread wouldnt have come up in the first place if OSS said their software is specific purpose and is proprietary. But issue is OSS is saying they distribute software under GNU GPL. I told OSS people that i can provide space to host their work and interested in promoting them. But the OSS group itself is confused. When i say this some say code is under GPL and i can get, some asks how will i live, some time the argument is if the work was socially funded then they could have released their work. This shows the lack of understanding of the spirit of Free Software.
Feeling i get from OSS's stand is. They want to leverage the popularity and financial benefits of Free Software. At the same time not interested in sharing the code in the spirit of Free Software. Here Freedom is restricted not through license but through practice. It will be right to say OSS is misusing GNU GPL.
Even when i put forward my strong objections to OSS, I admire the enthusiasm and commitment of OSS team. But they misinform people and that is our concern. I still hope OSS will change its stand in the spirit of the community.
Regards, Arun.
BTW, I think EIID was a socially funded project(by the District Panchayath). As i said code is yet to see light of Freedom :(