Re: Wasting our Freedom

["J.C. Roberts" <jcroberts@designtools.org>]

On Sunday 16 September 2007, Kyle Moffett wrote:
> Secondly, what the HELL is with you guys and the personal  
> attacks?!?!?  You said I am "hopelessly misinformed, or a habitual  
> liar"???  

You are right and I apologize. I've received plenty of personal attacks 
from your group, and failed to hold my temper when dealing with you.

You and the rest of the linux kernel devs need to realize there are a 
lot of angry people who are tired of being ignored by the powers that 
be in the GNU/FSF/GPL/SFLC. The claimed distinction between the linux 
kernel, the linux operating system, the various linux distros, the GNU 
project, the FSF, and the SFLC is pedantic at best to the rest of the 
outside world. As far as everyone else on the outside is concerned, you 
are all one large project working together.

When some part of your project is indulging in code theft, it makes all 
of you look bad, regardless if it's upstream, downstream, sidestream or 
otherwise. When linux/gpl developers and linux/gpl lawyers refuse to 
take a stance against code theft, you look like one big happy family 
doing everything you can to put as much code as possible under your 
preferred license regardless if it's illegal or immoral.

I knew darn well that I wouldn't be winning any new friends in the 
linux/gpl/gnu camp by voicing an unpopular opinion to your project, but 
after being ignored, you too would want to find the people on the other 
side with the spine to stand up and say code theft is wrong.

Would you stand by quietly, tolerate being ignored, and accept delay 
tactics of unethical lawyers if the roles were reverse?

Would you be willing to be called every untoward name in the book by 
voicing your dissenting opinions clearly and loudly?

I have.

jcr