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Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

blog.joinmastodon.org

451–460 of 551 posts

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#451

This is incorrect. Currently Truth is still internal software not available to the public, AGPL requires distribution of source code alongside the distribution of the program or service. Because Truth is only made available internally, the modified source code only has to be made available to their own company. This would change once the service does go public. AGPL can also not be "permanently revoked". It's not ind…

See section 8, "Termination": https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html Revoke may not be the legally correct word to use, but it's an informal blog post and not a legal document, and what they intended to say is clear enough. I think that your understanding of how the licensure works is a bit off. Open source software is still individually licensed to everyone. The copyright holder retains copyright, and can ter…

Interesting, I was not aware of that.

I did not take termination into account in the second paragraph. I was referring to AGPL being addressed to anyone instead of a specific party. This means that a full revocation of the license would revoke it from everyone, even though that's not possible with AGPL. This does not apply to terminating licensees as you mentioned which appears to be what they mean and is possible under condition.

But because of the lack of a violation a permanent termination in 30 days would still be invalid.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#452

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article states it was made available to a small subset of people. I guess distribution is distribution even if it just handing a USB stick to a friend.

I've read the AGPL, and it says that it must be able to be distributed to every user of the software. Every person that uses Truth Social must be able to find the source code.

Has any beta tester actually requested the code? If not then I don't think there is a violation.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#453
post #121

In terms of "antithetical values", the machine learning project ml5js.org actually did something about this. They bound their open-source license to a Code of Conduct¹, which forbids the use of their ML software for (1) discriminating against marginalized communities, (2) building tools that disingenuously manipulate public opinion, (3) building tools of mass surveillance and prediction to repress the rights of peopl…

This is such an enlightened approach. Why stop at software. Shoe makers should absolutely start licensing their foot ware so that permission to wear their product can be revoked for violations of their Code of Conduct.

Just imagine has much better the world would be!

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#454

Getting into any form of discussion regarding T is unwise. Yet I wanted to point out something Mastodon mission has always been to provide users freedom from and alternatives to the giant faceless autocratic exploitative social media. Or at least that is what I gleam from a search of Mastodon prior to when T ran for president. To now state for the record that T is not supposed to use the software seems like a politic…

what is T?

The former so called president of the US.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#455
post #21

One of Trump's biggest advantages is his enemies drastically over-react to things and end up looking stupid. GPL violations are a serious business and Mastodon is well within their rights to ask for the code to be released. But the business hasn't even opened yet and they're already waving permanent revocation around. This sort of aggression in enforcing the GPL may actually be unprecedented.

But it is correct. I would love for all violations to be policed like this. I didn’t take time away from my family and life for someone else to profit. I did it ONLY because I’d knew what GPL would enforce. The business opening or not does not matter here. GPL is enforced on the moment you publish underneath that license.

It may not actually be correct if nobody who has access to the beta website has actually requested the code.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#456
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[snark]Almost lost the Republic on Jan 6th to a whole lot of shoving.[/snark] But more seriously it looks like the government is having a hell of a time convicting anyone there of more than mischief and trespassing.

> [snark]Almost lost the Republic on Jan 6th to a whole lot of shoving.[/snark] Snark aside, the danger of Jan 6 was not shoving - It was people deciding to do the wrong thing in the name of gaining power. The insurrectionists who organized January 6 (yes it was planned) were at the Willard Hotel in a number of suites they called a "War Room" (yes, their words). The entire plan was to delay certification of Joe Biden…

I’m sorry but I chuckled a bit. In my last company our corporate legal used to ask us not to call our conference room the “war room” - it might imply anticompetitive actions. I rolled my eyes but apparently I was wrong in thinking that was a ridiculous statement.

And the fact that the Democrats argued that Trumps 2016 election and Bush’s election was “suspect” if not “fradulent” doesn’t do much to bolster your argument.

The pearl clutching is pretty obvious.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#457
post #429

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you say that you should have to work with every potential client who ever approaches you, whether or not they intend to pay, and whether or not they set fire to your dog last fall?

Should you be allowed to only sell to white men? It cuts many ways.

If it is fake tan for men, are you obliged to find some black customers?

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#458

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? The creators created the software, they can put any conditions they please on how others might use it. They're under no moral or legal obligation to allow people to use the fruits of their labors, except as they permit.

> The creators created the software, they can put any conditions they please on how others might use it. Indeed so, they have that right. I personally wouldn't consider using code licensed like this, because even if I 100% agreed with the CoC and Steering Committee, both might change over time (the CoC says "We expect the Code of Conduct to be a living document") and I have no idea who'll be on the Steering Committee…

Is ones liscence based on the values of when it is granted or reviewed every day?

A bit like paying $100 for some software but a year later being told they now think you should pay $5000.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#459
post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If all software was licensed that way, 5-15 years would pass then suddenly there'd be a whole bunch of "Wow, Stallman was right again! We should have been using free software licenses!" style articles. Restricting software use to only people approved by the creators is a terrible idea. Society has to operate with some level of trust that even people we disagree with, using methods we don't approve of, have the potent…

Why? The creators created the software, they can put any conditions they please on how others might use it. They're under no moral or legal obligation to allow people to use the fruits of their labors, except as they permit.

Ignoring the philosophical issues what about just the bureaucratic nightmare of trying to use software like that? Especially as the “terms of use” change, nobody would want to use any of this software in a critical system.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#460

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK but why not give them the benefit of the doubt? You've given no reason why you don't believe them, you just say you don't. OK, so what?

I understand why someone would interpret Mastodon's statement that way, but I believe it is a misinterpretation and not what Mastodon meant. I don't have a doubt about Mastodon's meaning.

As one more data point, I completely disagree with your interpretation, and don’t really have any doubts that serial_dev’s interpretation is correct
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