On 2/17/07, Pradeepto Bhattacharya pradeeptob@gmail.com wrote:
Hi,
On 2/17/07, Debarshi 'Rishi' Ray debarshi.ray@gmail.com wrote:
but the source is available - so far better than matlab. God save us from purists
Use GNU Octave (http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/). Stay away from both Matlab and Scilab.
I don't want to get into this battle but still I always failto understand is such blanket statements which makes no sense to me. Do you watch TV? Do you use a cell phone? Do you listen to music on a music system? Do you ever use a ticket vending machine ( if you get a chance to do so, like when you are in BOM )? Do you ever use a car? Do you ever do anything that involves some internal electronics / programming magic so that your work is done?
So before using that do you search for a "free alternative"for such a program/application that can run the gadget and such? Or just go ahead and use it.
There was a time when all the GNU hackers were using proprietary kernels, operating systems, and their applications were running on top of them. Today they managed to change the situation, they also showed that a completely free society is not impractical. We all know that that goal is very very ideal, and we may never reach there. However, if we begin to compromise, and begin to adjust, we give way to what we don't want. This act is not interesting to hackers. That is why, whenever such an issue arises, we relentlessly repeat and remind ourselves the objective.
As regards, scilab/octave/matlab situation goes: imagine if scilab like Sun's java becomes a free software, it will be embraced by all of us. We are not feeling that we miss scilab, the scilab developers should feel that they are missing us. Their business and reach will increase if scilab becomes free software. This will also reduce the need to redo the things that scilab already did. By releasing it as free software, they will gain. ultimately it is win win situation for both, though not for matlab.
However, we should say the same thing to matlab develoopers. We should say, please make matlab free software, so that we will begin using it, we will begin to aclaim it, we will take to every school and college.
By the same logic, our demand applies to the cars, vending machines and the entire list that you stated above. We have a equivocal demand, it does not exclude MS.
Nagarjuna