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I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022)

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Re: I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022)

#441

Post by cameronh90 »

SpaceNoodled wrote: post #356
cameronh90 wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author in the UK so it's pretty much a given that they're exaggerating for comedic effect, but... living in the UK myself, I have only sent maybe about 5 letters in my life, all to the government bureaucracy, and none more recently than a decade ago. And I'm a millennial, albeit on the younger side (so I tell myself). I don't have any pens, paper or a printer in my house, so I'd probably go to my workplace if I n…

It's bizarre to hear about people not even having a single pen, like the author. What's the last time you ever used one? What is your daily life like?

I think the last the last time I used a writing implement was actually about two months ago, and it was a sharpie that I had to go to the corner shop to buy. I needed to take a verification picture of myself holding the date for an online pharmacy.

I do have an iPad with an Apple Pencil, but even that I use quite rarely - though I at least know where it is. If I'm annotating a PDF, that would be my tool of choice.

Aside from that, I'm not sure that my daily life is really that unrecognisable from anyone else's. Just that instead of writing stuff on paper, I either type it or tap it on my phone. For maths, I'm just quite quick at TeX input.

Re: I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022)

#442

Post by dheera »

Symbiote wrote: post #435
dheera wrote: post #379

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, part of the problem is I didn't own a pen at the time. I have multiple computers and phones, I thought that was the interface to the post-2000 world. I do have paint, but that's a little clumsy. I grudgingly own a box of BIC pens now, but ... It's like requiring people to own a horse to do something these days. And in past experience during school days, those goddamn BIC pens all go bad (ink dries up or somet…

You are intentionally making things difficult when you don't own a pen. That's very much your problem, and the rest of the world doesn't need to accommodate it.

When paper and pen was invented, I'm sure there was a bearded caveman holding a fish who made a comment about how it was someone's problem that they didn't have a tool to carve stone tablets.

Paper is on its way out, electrons are the new medium.

Re: I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022)

#445

Post by snickerbockers »

kevincox wrote: post #361
self_awareness wrote: post #333

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The sender didn't specify the version in his request, so I find it natural that they've sent him the latest version.

How does a sender who only has a GPLv2 license notice even know that there is a v3? Should they first send a letter asking which versions are available?

the usual license header has something along the lines of "either version [23], or at your discretion, any subsequent version", which clearly explains that there are specific versions with distinct rules. Many people opt not to include this clause because they (understandably) don't want to automatically agree to a contract that hasn't even been written yet. However if they fail to make the version clear that's on them.

Anyways I don't think this defense would ever fly in court. As soon as the plaintiff's lawyers produce evidence that you are aware of GPLv3 (such as pointing out that you have GPLv3 software on your PC or phone) the judge is going to see that you're trying to game the system on technicality and sanction you. Judges really don't like this sly loophole BS where it's extremely obvious that you're feigning ignorance for the sake of constructing an alternate reality where you hypothetically never knew there was a GPLv3.

Re: I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022)

#446

Post by Macha »

immibis wrote: post #367
ta8903 wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's like the classic argument about IRC vs Discord. IRC is more convoluted to use, the clients are subpar, you need to set up a BNC to receive messages when offline, but Discord requires you to give up your phone number. Some people find IRC less accessible, but I find having a phone number that I'm willing to give to a third party is a much more difficult requirement.

Don't forget the next part: whenever you point out that Discord requires you to give them your phone number, hundreds of Agent Smiths appear in the replies to say that actually you don't. Who are we to believe - the repliers, or our own lying eyes? (The Agent Smith effect is something conspiracy theorists made up to explain why every time they show off their conspiracy theory in public, every single person around the…

The explanation is pretty simple: The most fervent users of discord also have overlap with the longest users of discord, and their account age and usage patterns means that discord's risk systems have never demanded a phone number from them.

Re: I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022)

#447

Post by Macha »

SpaceNoodled wrote: post #356
cameronh90 wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author in the UK so it's pretty much a given that they're exaggerating for comedic effect, but... living in the UK myself, I have only sent maybe about 5 letters in my life, all to the government bureaucracy, and none more recently than a decade ago. And I'm a millennial, albeit on the younger side (so I tell myself). I don't have any pens, paper or a printer in my house, so I'd probably go to my workplace if I n…

It's bizarre to hear about people not even having a single pen, like the author. What's the last time you ever used one? What is your daily life like?

I went for 10 years not using a pen at home. That streak would be even longer, except for about a year I took up journalling as a hobby.

I'm not sure exactly what you think people must be handwriting:

- Notes? I use Obsidian for work notes, Google Keep for stuff like shopping lists

- Signatures? Delivery receipt signatures are done with a finger on a touch screen, stuff like employment contracts and finance paperwork have basically all moved to e-signatures. I genuinely think the last thing I signed with a pen might have been my mortgage, and that one I had to go to solicitor's office anyway as it had to be officially witnessed.

- Paper forms? Print, sign and scan was occasionally requested until a few years ago, but I did it in the office because I also didn't own a printer at that time. Even "important government forms" are done online now.

Re: I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022)

#448

Post by Macha »

tart-lemonade wrote: post #268
bongodongobob wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I refuse to believe there are adults out there where things like using a pen to write and mailing a letter are alien concepts that need to be learned. Well, believe it. I'm in my 40s and haven't written a letter since I was a kid. Why would I ever have to? Ask someone who was born in 2003 if they've ever written and mailed a letter. 99% are going to say no.

Do you not send thank you cards for birthday and holiday gifts?

The only people I know of that do this are over 60.

Re: I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022)

#449

Post by tialaramex »

School-Cotton wrote: post #391
tialaramex wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It just doesn’t matter in daily life. Like a lot of mathematics it does matter in your daily life but you actually just don't think about it because of course this works - unless you're an American and so no it doesn't. The A-series paper sizes mean everything scales very naturally. Poster? Pamphlet? It's just the same ratios again but bigger or smaller. There is a single design where this works, and that's why the…

Can you explain concretely why it matters in daily life that I can cut the paper posters are printed on in half several times to wind up with paper of the size that letters are printed on, and that these have the same aspect ratio? Why would I ever want to do that / why should I care that it's possible? I'm not trying to be combative; I genuinely don't know.

Not the paper, the stuff on the paper scales the same. Want a large poster and then also handbills to give out? They're identical. Got 15 full size sheets of colour information but now want to turn it into a pocket handout ? No problem, it's the same thing but smaller.

This feels obvious - of course it works like that, until your paper sizes aren't using this ratio (which the US ones don't) and then the frustration is apparent.

Re: I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022)

#450

Post by giancarlostoro »

aftbit wrote: post #439
ayewo wrote: post #423

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about encoding the address as a QR code? This should not require any Internet access to view by whoever is scanning it to be sorted for delivery.

It also does not help you to update the address later.

It does if it leads to a web page with an address.

What happens when all project maintainers die and the source code disappears?

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