Live data from Hacker News

Richard Stallman spoke at Microsoft Research this week

zdnet.com

31–40 of 170 posts

Re: Richard Stallman spoke at Microsoft Research this week

#31
post #7

An English language article: https://www.zdnet.com/article/free-software-advocate-richard... Also Pedro Paulo explained what the content of the talk was: > Mostly standard talk. Importance of free software, GPL v3, GNU vs Linux. However, he had a list of "small requests": make Github push users to better software license hygiene, make hardware manufacturers to publish their hardware specs, make it easier to workaroun…

Agree strongly with the last two requests, but not so much the first one (but I guess it's to be expected for RMS.)

I'm not sure exactly what he meant by software license hygiene, but if it's what I imagine, it's a significant problem. Often people don't quite understand the licenses they choose and they get into trouble as a result. For example, there is a free software game that I follow which is licensed under the GPL. The author made a passing statement that the game is under the GPL, but none of text of the game is (it's an RPG, so there is a significant story). When I looked, they had mistakenly added the GPL to all the files that contained the story! They thought that since it wasn't source code, it couldn't be covered by the GPL.

It's clearly a well intentioned mistake, but it's the kind of thing that can bite you later because someone will accept the license and use it for something you never intended. At that point it's a really big headache.

It gets even more complicated when people try to mix licenses that are incompatible -- it works fine until somebody challenges it. At that point it's an absolute pain. The last thing you want on your project is to have someone say they are going to sue you because you don't have permission to use their code. It's really, really important for people to follow the licenses correctly and GitHub is in a wonderful place to help with that. It's a win for everybody. I would say even if people realise that they can't use GPL for some project because it is incompatible with the license for other code they are using, it's better than going for years and having a problem!

Re: Richard Stallman spoke at Microsoft Research this week

#33
Without sounding too sacrilegious, Dr. Stallman is the Free Software Jesus--he preaches the gospel of Free Software to the whole world and associates with "sinners" calling them to repentance. If he can bring "the truth" of Free Software to Microsoft employees and help them "see the light", why wouldn't he?

He certainly looks the part of Free Software prophet when dressed as Saint Ignuicius: https://stallman.org/saint.html

Having met him in person, he is extremely sincere about his beliefs and practices and really does "practice what he preaches".

Re: Richard Stallman spoke at Microsoft Research this week

#34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agree strongly with the last two requests, but not so much the first one (but I guess it's to be expected for RMS.)

I'm not sure exactly what he meant by software license hygiene, but if it's what I imagine, it's a significant problem. Often people don't quite understand the licenses they choose and they get into trouble as a result. For example, there is a free software game that I follow which is licensed under the GPL. The author made a passing statement that the game is under the GPL, but none of text of the game is (it's an R…

Yes that is a common problem. I could see GitHub creating tools to help you select a license and inform you how to use it properly, as well as having systems that show you how the license affects your project.

Re: Richard Stallman spoke at Microsoft Research this week

#36
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's so objectionable about that. Honestly one of the more annoying to find problems with GitHub (and npm) is MIT licensed software with GPL dependencies, and even if you want to have closed source software on GitHub, having a "this software is closed source" UI element is still better license hygiene without forcing everything open source. I think honestly this is something other providers (Google code when it was…

Um, GPL is not “closed source.”

GPL code is essentially "don't-touch-with-a-39-and-a-half-foot-pole source" to most people who want any control over their project or are developing in a professional setting.

Re: Richard Stallman spoke at Microsoft Research this week

#37
post #26

I hope they've complied with all the requirements of his rider https://groups.google.com/a/mysociety.org/forum/m/#!msg/myso...

His rider isn't really that bad, it's common sense stuff for someone who travels and does a lot of speaking engagements. All he really asks for at the event is some supplies to make tea and possibly 2 Pepsi's, which isn't exactly over-the-top

Re: Richard Stallman spoke at Microsoft Research this week

#38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agree strongly with the last two requests, but not so much the first one (but I guess it's to be expected for RMS.)

I'm not sure exactly what he meant by software license hygiene, but if it's what I imagine, it's a significant problem. Often people don't quite understand the licenses they choose and they get into trouble as a result. For example, there is a free software game that I follow which is licensed under the GPL. The author made a passing statement that the game is under the GPL, but none of text of the game is (it's an R…

Story sounds like data to me. Data should not be in the repo, just the means to fetch it.

Re: Richard Stallman spoke at Microsoft Research this week

#39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Um, GPL is not “closed source.”

GPL code is essentially "don't-touch-with-a-39-and-a-half-foot-pole source" to most people who want any control over their project or are developing in a professional setting.

You meant control over the users.

Re: Richard Stallman spoke at Microsoft Research this week

#40

Without sounding too sacrilegious, Dr. Stallman is the Free Software Jesus--he preaches the gospel of Free Software to the whole world and associates with "sinners" calling them to repentance. If he can bring "the truth" of Free Software to Microsoft employees and help them "see the light", why wouldn't he? He certainly looks the part of Free Software prophet when dressed as Saint Ignuicius: https://stallman.org/sain…

The thing that surprises people is not that Stallman went to Microsoft but that Microsoft invited him to talk. Back in the day Bill Gates would make signs to ward against evil if Richard "communist cancer" Stallman was anywhere near Redmond.

How times have changed.

Post reply on HN