On Mon February 20 2006 14:55, Pete Bessman wrote:
> So let's hear it!
When I was a kid, the notion that you shouldn't copy software
other people had written was a new, and kind of absurd, notion,
akin to the idea that you weren't supposed to make mix tapes out
of your friends' albums. I remember Bill Gates' open letter
(though I only heard about it 3 or 4 years later, around 1980)
decrying what he believed was theft and acting as kind of a
manifesto of proprietary software. What a jerk, I thought, back
at age 11. He's taking his ball and going home.
Obviously, despite being a jerk, that whole attitude worked out
for him. As for the rest of us, you had the people who just
copied whatever they needed or wanted, and you had the Fans of
Bill, who didn't really start showing up until the late 80's
when BBSes started getting more extensively networked and then
along came the net:
"If you keep copying software like that, no one will sell
software anymore!" Well, all right, we said, if they insist.
"So I can come to your house and take your car and you're okay
with that?" they'd ask. No, we'd reply, but you're welcome to
build yourself an exact copy of it the way I just did with this
DOS 3.3 disk. Good luck with that.
"Yeah, well, Microsoft wrote that, so they get to make the rules.
If you don't like it, why don't you just go and write your own
software and give it away? Ha ha!"
But by golly, someone did. A lot of people did. And most of
them put it under a license that turned the copyright hoarders'
tactics back on them. It wasn't good for much at first, but by
about 1998 it was the best choice for web and mail servers, and
soon after that it was the best choice for file and print
servers, and by a couple years ago I didn't have to resort to
any philosophical diatribe whatsoever to get people to put Linux
on their racks of servers. The desktop's another story, but now
instead of "someday..." people are saying "as soon as...."
So basically, I started out believing copyright was stupid, but
now I kinda like it because they're the ones who'd love to get
their hands on the free stuff.... nonetheless, I'd still put
myself in the free software camp when I'm not visiting a client.
When I'm there, I'm all about what's the most practical and
easiest to maintain and most cost-effective.... in the server
room, that means Linux, and everywhere else I just try not to
get involved (except to move apps to web/AJAX so there's one
less reason to keep buying Windows licenses.)
As for me, I haven't had any pirated software on my machines
since getting rid of my last Windows install some years ago. As
far as music goes, since I mostly work in the MIDI and
pattern-based domains, when Linux has been lacking I've simply
gone without. Gotta be consistent, after all.
> WHAT is your NAME?
Robert Jude Kudla.
> WHAT is your QUEST?
To have some free time, unoccupied by worrying about projects or
bills, so I can finally record the album plus worth of stuff
I've been squirreling away in text files of lyrics and melodies
hummed into my own voicemail.
> WHAT is your FAVORITE ALBUM?
Today it's Close to the Edge by Yes. And I don't even have a
fish outline on the bumper of my car.
Rob
Received on Sun Feb 26 20:17:17 2006
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