tp@mccall.com (07/05/90)
In article <1990Jul3.201225.18096@ico.isc.com>, rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) writes: > As I sit on the sidelines, I'm not sure whether the FSF's position is > changing, or merely becoming more clear, but I think the timing of it all > is quite unfortunate. With the just-announced disastrous (IMO) decision > for Lotus, it is important to have some strongly-worded statements from > "the other side"--yet I think many of us are just now finding that FSF > cannot speak for us because its position has become untenably radical > and/or violates our standards of professional conduct. For me, there's > a fatal loss of focus in moving from challenging ridiculous software costs > and licensing to challenging the entire publishing industry. Well, I've been aware of the political feelings of the FSF for years, and I've never been associated with them. It isn't something they publicize well enough that anyone using their stuff knows about it, but it has certainly never been secret. The views expressed here recently (here being comp.sources.d, I understand this thread is fragmented) have not seemed to me to be inconsistent with what I've always understood them to be, so I don't think they are changing. They may are possibly becoming more clear in that occasionally, as in this case, they become the subject of a debate, and that, of course publicizes their views. I've never felt that the FSF could speak for me (or vice-versa), because I do understand and disagree with their views. All that having been said, read the message on the League for Programming Freedom carefully. This is not the GNU manifesto. It appears to have been written not to further the FSF's political views, but to mobilize broad-based support for the specific idea of fighting against look and feel lawsuits. I found nothing in it that I could not agree with, and after checking on the status of my bank account, I will probably be sending in my check. I urge all of you to give this some serious thought. Read the message carefully, and don't be biased against it because it comes from Richard Stallman (if that would be your inclination). This is not a furtherance of his own political views. It appears to me to be exactly what it looks like, an attempt to mobilize against user interface copyrights and software patents. I may not be nearly as well known as rms, but I do disagree strongly with his politics. I hope this gives a little credibility to the LPF among those who also disagree with rms' politics and might be tempted not to give it a close look. -- Terry Poot <tp@mccall.com> The McCall Pattern Company (uucp: ...!rutgers!ksuvax1!mccall!tp) 615 McCall Road (800)255-2762, in KS (913)776-4041 Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
sean@ms.uky.edu (Sean Casey) (07/06/90)
I personally disagree with the FSF's views, but I feel very strongly that the LPF has proper concerns. Unfortunately, they want my money, which is the one thing I can't afford to give (unless I give up eating). If anyone would like me to write congressmen, make phone calls, etc., I'd be happy to do that. Sean
gudeman@cs.arizona.edu (David Gudeman) (07/06/90)
In article <3060.26932146@mccall.com> tp@mccall.com writes: ]In article <1990Jul3.201225.18096@ico.isc.com>, rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) writes: ]... ]All that having been said, read the message on the League for Programming ]Freedom carefully. This is not the GNU manifesto. It appears to have been ]written not to further the FSF's political views, but to mobilize ]broad-based support for the specific idea of fighting against look and feel ]lawsuits. I found nothing in it that I could not agree with, and after ]checking on the status of my bank account, I will probably be sending in my ]check. You have to be careful about these things though. It would be hard, if not impossible, for Richard Stallman to keep his own more radical views out of whatever LPF does. How many times have you heard of political groups doing things outside of their charter (against the wishes of the paying membership). It isn't at all unusual. -- David Gudeman Department of Computer Science The University of Arizona gudeman@cs.arizona.edu Tucson, AZ 85721 noao!arizona!gudeman