On Friday 29 December 2006 18:34, Siddhesh Poyarekar wrote:
On 12/29/06, Roshan d_rosh2001@yahoo.co.in wrote:
in a way), according to me, Mr. JTD has added an important perspective of what GNU is in GNU/Linux. In fact, a better way to tell newbies what GNU stands for in GNU/Linux, rather than fighting for credits!
True, but it all looks like fighting for credit doesn't it? And in many ways I still feel it is. It is JTDs perspective and it's definitely a good one, no doubt. It's a bit like the "rights for the poor" perspective when one argues against slums demolition.
I just went thru (once again) some of the gnu.org pages. The point stressed everywhere is the freedom aspect. Regarding credit it appears in only one place directly and might seem to be claiming credit (by a substantial stretch of my imagination atleast) indirectly in two more places. In every talk of RMS the credit part occupies approx. 2 mins in a 120 min lecture about freedom. 1.6% that is. Looks like many have a deadly allergy to freedom.
Whoever started this nonsense about credit is talking without basis.
The GNU acronym is NOT about credit. It is about freedom.
Freedom scares businesses according to some from the OSI. As though we owe our existence for the benefit of businesses.
While the osi seem to be doing a so-so job of inducing businesses to the benefits of FOSS, the reality is not that nice. Read Harald Welte's blog on embedded systems code to understand the futulity of sweet talking business into FOSS.
While sweet talking they dont seem to be pointing out the obligations. Or bringing to heel (or even initiating dialog) with violators.
So Osi (similiar well intentioned others) starts a mess and people like Harald Welte have to do the cleanup. Shades of BSD in there - well intentioned and productive though they are.
The issues at hand are simple. But presenting and making it acceptable is not. And it's most certainly not about credit.