On Monday 15 January 2007 15:20, Sachin G Nambiar wrote:
Agreed. I guess a lot of people are currently using Aseems argument or similar ones to "criminalize" FSF or OSS philosophy. Aseem has presented it in a more civil manner. Most people dont do it.
Laws are in place to check exploitation and to guard the freedoms that we have. Without these laws there will be nothing but chaos.
akin to traffic signals. Laws act as regulators. But it's when these laws start restricting beyond regulating when the whole problem arises. There is only a thin line of difference between the two.
Like when the poltico can jump the signal and go home and u cant. Or when the slum lord can grab land but your balcony extension is demolished. What exactly are u talking about. Laws are there to prevent exploitation. The ones to regulate are the ones that mostly are the problem and the cause of the messes u see around - regulate land use, regulate spectrum use, regulate connectivity, regulate free flow of labour, cash, food etc. And the mess is not merely because of existence of these regulations but more so because the implementation is well hidden from the end users. Something the gpl tries it's utmost to prevent in the case of software AND remove shortages caused by stupid regulation (EULA) - the bone of your primary grouse. Bottom line - rethink your business model - based on unlimited availabilty and creation of knowledge rather than brain dead methods of coercion, packaging and distribution.