[comp.emacs] Yet another question on the GNU license ...

rbj@nav.icst.nbs.GOV (Root Boy Jim) (08/30/88)

> To what extent are students obligated to share homework written
> with the GNU emacs editor?  I don't have a copy of the FSF license
> but if I recall correctly there wasn't any mention of an "educational
> exception"
> 
> If they are obligated that would seem to undermine the educational
> process, if not that would seem to undermine the goals of the FSF.
> 
> This is mainly a rhetorical question, but one that I think needs
> an answer.  Thanks,
 
Is this a joke or what? Of course the extent you are obligated to do
anything is a function of how literal you take licenses in general.
What you suggest is absurd, on the level of `if the ERA passes,
will we all have to use unisex toilets?'. Use some common sense.

> Larry Cipriani, AT&T Network Systems, Columbus OH, cbnews!lvc lvc@cbnews.ATT.COM

	(Root Boy) Jim Cottrell	<rbj@icst-cmr.arpa>
	National Bureau of Standards
	Flamer's Hotline: (301) 975-5688
	The opinions expressed are solely my own
	and do not reflect NBS policy or agreement
	Careful with that VAX Eugene!
My CODE of ETHICS is vacationing at famed SCHROON LAKE
 in upstate New York!!
c

hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu (Charles Hedrick) (08/30/88)

> To what extent are students obligated to share homework written
> with the GNU emacs editor?  I don't have a copy of the FSF license

You have made two mistakes about the license. (1) nothing about Gnu
imposes any condition on text edited by Gnu Emacs.  The discussion was
all about binary images loaded with the g++ libraries.  They are a
special problem because they actually include code supply by FSF.
When you edit a file with Gnu Emacs, you do not cause it to include
any FSF code.  (2) Even if you did something that caused your code to
have to follow the FSF policies (e.g. you created code that was based
on FSF code), those restrictions do not require you to distribute your
code.  They specify things you must do if you redistribute or publish
your code.

I do have a copy of the FSF license.  Why are we discussing a license
that you haven't bothered to look at?

weemba@garnet.berkeley.edu (Matthew P Wiener) (08/30/88)

In article <8808291950.AA20620@nav.icst.nbs.gov>, rbj@nav (Root Boy Jim) writes:
>> To what extent are students obligated to share homework written
>> with the GNU emacs editor?  [...]

>> This is mainly a rhetorical question, but one that I think needs
>> an answer.  Thanks,

>Is this a joke or what?

No, it wasn't a joke.  It was a lie.

As Larry Cipriani explained in e-mail to me, he wants to sell his homework
written at Ohio State.

As I explained to him further, I think OSU has more say in that matter,
both ethically and commercially, than FSF.

ucbvax!garnet!weemba	Matthew P Wiener/Brahms Gang/Berkeley CA 94720
"Nil sounds like a lot of kopins! I never got paid nil before!" --Groo