[gnu.gcc] Look & Feel politics

raveling@venera.isi.edu (Paul Raveling) (06/01/89)

	Ideas that I support in connection with this are:

	--  Ability to copyright or otherwise restrict user interface
	    look and feel characteristics is absolutely inappropriate.
	    This is the greatest threat to our collective ability
	    to produce good software that has yet arisen.  We need
	    to take action to prevent this.

	--  Producers should be free to offer whatever products they choose.
	    This applies equally to both FSF products and David Berry's
	    port of gcc onto Apple hardware.

	--  Consumers should be free to accept or reject any product
	    for any reason.

	    My personal choice is to reject Apple's products in order
	    to avoid supporting a company that's trying to restrict
	    our access to user interface characteristics & techniques.

	--  Everyone should be allowed to discuss this issue freely,
	    but the gnu.gcc newsgroup is not the appropriate forum.

	Actions that I support are:

	--  Create a new newsgroup, perhaps comp.politics.  This
	    issue isn't limited to FSF and GNU.

	--  Write to legislators to ask for changes to copyright law
	    to specifically declare general techniques such as look
	    and feel to be not subject to copyrights.

	--  Organize a demonstration at Apple headquarters, along
	    the lines of RMS's demonstration in Massachusetts.
	    Include at least a couple weeks' notice via net news.

	    I'd like to think that we could gather a LARGE group
	    to demonstrate in California.  In any case, count me in.


	**  If you follow up, please edit the newsgroups line appropriately;
	**  this is cross-posted to gnu.gcc and ca.politics.


----------------
Paul Raveling
Raveling@isi.edu