NYLXS - Free Software Events

Sat Apr 20 04:23:35 2024

EVENTS

FREE
SOFTWARE
INSTITUTE

POLITICS

JOBS

MEMBERS'
CORNER

MAILING
LIST

NYLXS Members have a lot to say and share but we don't keep many secrets. Join the Hangout Mailing List and say your peice.

DATE 2006-05-01

HANGOUT

2024-04-20 | 2024-03-20 | 2024-02-20 | 2024-01-20 | 2023-12-20 | 2023-11-20 | 2023-10-20 | 2023-09-20 | 2023-08-20 | 2023-07-20 | 2023-06-20 | 2023-05-20 | 2023-04-20 | 2023-03-20 | 2023-02-20 | 2023-01-20 | 2022-12-20 | 2022-11-20 | 2022-10-20 | 2022-09-20 | 2022-08-20 | 2022-07-20 | 2022-06-20 | 2022-05-20 | 2022-04-20 | 2022-03-20 | 2022-02-20 | 2022-01-20 | 2021-12-20 | 2021-11-20 | 2021-10-20 | 2021-09-20 | 2021-08-20 | 2021-07-20 | 2021-06-20 | 2021-05-20 | 2021-04-20 | 2021-03-20 | 2021-02-20 | 2021-01-20 | 2020-12-20 | 2020-11-20 | 2020-10-20 | 2020-09-20 | 2020-08-20 | 2020-07-20 | 2020-06-20 | 2020-05-20 | 2020-04-20 | 2020-03-20 | 2020-02-20 | 2020-01-20 | 2019-12-20 | 2019-11-20 | 2019-10-20 | 2019-09-20 | 2019-08-20 | 2019-07-20 | 2019-06-20 | 2019-05-20 | 2019-04-20 | 2019-03-20 | 2019-02-20 | 2019-01-20 | 2018-12-20 | 2018-11-20 | 2018-10-20 | 2018-09-20 | 2018-08-20 | 2018-07-20 | 2018-06-20 | 2018-05-20 | 2018-04-20 | 2018-03-20 | 2018-02-20 | 2018-01-20 | 2017-12-20 | 2017-11-20 | 2017-10-20 | 2017-09-20 | 2017-08-20 | 2017-07-20 | 2017-06-20 | 2017-05-20 | 2017-04-20 | 2017-03-20 | 2017-02-20 | 2017-01-20 | 2016-12-20 | 2016-11-20 | 2016-10-20 | 2016-09-20 | 2016-08-20 | 2016-07-20 | 2016-06-20 | 2016-05-20 | 2016-04-20 | 2016-03-20 | 2016-02-20 | 2016-01-20 | 2015-12-20 | 2015-11-20 | 2015-10-20 | 2015-09-20 | 2015-08-20 | 2015-07-20 | 2015-06-20 | 2015-05-20 | 2015-04-20 | 2015-03-20 | 2015-02-20 | 2015-01-20 | 2014-12-20 | 2014-11-20 | 2014-10-20 | 2014-09-20 | 2014-08-20 | 2014-07-20 | 2014-06-20 | 2014-05-20 | 2014-04-20 | 2014-03-20 | 2014-02-20 | 2014-01-20 | 2013-12-20 | 2013-11-20 | 2013-10-20 | 2013-09-20 | 2013-08-20 | 2013-07-20 | 2013-06-20 | 2013-05-20 | 2013-04-20 | 2013-03-20 | 2013-02-20 | 2013-01-20 | 2012-12-20 | 2012-11-20 | 2012-10-20 | 2012-09-20 | 2012-08-20 | 2012-07-20 | 2012-06-20 | 2012-05-20 | 2012-04-20 | 2012-03-20 | 2012-02-20 | 2012-01-20 | 2011-12-20 | 2011-11-20 | 2011-10-20 | 2011-09-20 | 2011-08-20 | 2011-07-20 | 2011-06-20 | 2011-05-20 | 2011-04-20 | 2011-03-20 | 2011-02-20 | 2011-01-20 | 2010-12-20 | 2010-11-20 | 2010-10-20 | 2010-09-20 | 2010-08-20 | 2010-07-20 | 2010-06-20 | 2010-05-20 | 2010-04-20 | 2010-03-20 | 2010-02-20 | 2010-01-20 | 2009-12-20 | 2009-11-20 | 2009-10-20 | 2009-09-20 | 2009-08-20 | 2009-07-20 | 2009-06-20 | 2009-05-20 | 2009-04-20 | 2009-03-20 | 2009-02-20 | 2009-01-20 | 2008-12-20 | 2008-11-20 | 2008-10-20 | 2008-09-20 | 2008-08-20 | 2008-07-20 | 2008-06-20 | 2008-05-20 | 2008-04-20 | 2008-03-20 | 2008-02-20 | 2008-01-20 | 2007-12-20 | 2007-11-20 | 2007-10-20 | 2007-09-20 | 2007-08-20 | 2007-07-20 | 2007-06-20 | 2007-05-20 | 2007-04-20 | 2007-03-20 | 2007-02-20 | 2007-01-20 | 2006-12-20 | 2006-11-20 | 2006-10-20 | 2006-09-20 | 2006-08-20 | 2006-07-20 | 2006-06-20 | 2006-05-20 | 2006-04-20 | 2006-03-20 | 2006-02-20 | 2006-01-20 | 2005-12-20 | 2005-11-20 | 2005-10-20 | 2005-09-20 | 2005-08-20 | 2005-07-20 | 2005-06-20 | 2005-05-20 | 2005-04-20 | 2005-03-20 | 2005-02-20 | 2005-01-20 | 2004-12-20 | 2004-11-20 | 2004-10-20 | 2004-09-20 | 2004-08-20 | 2004-07-20 | 2004-06-20 | 2004-05-20 | 2004-04-20 | 2004-03-20 | 2004-02-20 | 2004-01-20 | 2003-12-20 | 2003-11-20 | 2003-10-20 | 2003-09-20 | 2003-08-20 | 2003-07-20 | 2003-06-20 | 2003-05-20 | 2003-04-20 | 2003-03-20 | 2003-02-20 | 2003-01-20 | 2002-12-20 | 2002-11-20 | 2002-10-20 | 2002-09-20 | 2002-08-20 | 2002-07-20 | 2002-06-20 | 2002-05-20 | 2002-04-20 | 2002-03-20 | 2002-02-20 | 2002-01-20 | 2001-12-20 | 2001-11-20 | 2001-10-20 | 2001-09-20 | 2001-08-20 | 2001-07-20 | 2001-06-20 | 2001-05-20 | 2001-04-20 | 2001-03-20 | 2001-02-20 | 2001-01-20 | 2000-12-20 | 2000-11-20 | 2000-10-20 | 2000-09-20 | 2000-08-20 | 2000-07-20 | 2000-06-20 | 2000-05-20 | 2000-04-20 | 2000-03-20 | 2000-02-20 | 2000-01-20 | 1999-12-20

Key: Value:

MESSAGE

DATE	2006-05-19
FROM	Billy
SUBJECT	Re: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] Its a sorry day for The Linux Journal
On May 19, 2006, at 5:49 PM, Ruben Safir wrote: > /etc/rant - The Spirit of Open Source > By Nicholas Petreley > Created 2006-02-23 02:00 > > > How dare Linus Torvalds recommend that people use what's best? > Dang. I had intended to rant about wikis this month, but Dave Taylor > covered the topic thoroughly and did a much better job than I would > have. See his article "Why I Don't [strike]Like[/strike] [edit: Get] > Wikis" in this issue. > > There's plenty of other things to rant about, however. There's the > schizophrenic, religious and hypocritical zealotry of free/open-source > advocates that often gets more ink than the sane attitudes that are > more > prevalent in the development community itself. > > Take the irrational fear of Java and its gatekeeper, Sun, as an > example. > Do you realize there are people who still insist that the only > acceptable version of Java is a clean-room open-source implementation > that (they presume) cannot be controlled by Sun? Did you also know > that, > according to Evans data, the vast majority of Linux developers uses > Java-based Eclipse as their favorite integrated development > environment > (IDE)? He's an idiot. Eclipse can run on non-Sun JVMs, and it's open source. He has no point here. > > I'm using the Java-based Jedit to write this column. I use Jedit > because > I think it is the best editor on the planet. Ask me if I'm afraid that > Sun will send the Java police after me to collect a license fee. > No, ask > me what I would do if Sun did that? I'd gladly pay up. Why? I told > you. > I think Jedit is the best editor on the planet and I want to use it. Sun doesn't control JEdit. Again, nonsense. JEdit is a kid's toy of a text editor, btw. He's hemorraging credibility. > Do you know what Linux developers named as their second favorite IDE? > KDevelop. That's right, the KDE-based IDE that depends upon the > evil Qt. > Sure you can use the GPL version of Qt, which requires you to share > your > code. But Qt is evil because you have to pay license fees to its > creator, Trolltech, if (and only if) you want to sell a closed-source > proprietary application based on Qt. > GTK, on the other hand, is good, because you can sell closed-source > proprietary applications based on GTK without having to give anything > back to the people whose work you exploited in order to make your > money. > Don't take my word for it. When I talked to Ximian's Miguel de > Icaza, he > named the LGPL license as the reason why people should choose GTK and > GNOME over Qt and KDE. And it is the LGPL that allows people to > exploit > the work of the developers of GTK and GNOME without having to > compensate > them with money or source code. > In view of this, it is beyond me how GTK and GNOME remain the poster > children of open source for so many open-source advocates. He doesn't even know the difference between open-source and free software. > What is the spirit of open source? It is the GNU General Public > License. > The idea is that if you publish software that integrates someone > else's > publicly available work (work licensed under the GPL), you are > required > to make your additional work available to the public as well. > > The Linux kernel is based on the GPL. NVIDIA violates the GPL > because it > keeps some of its Linux kernel driver code secret. The end result is > that you will "taint" the kernel if you use NVIDIA's closed-source > kernel module. Shame on NVIDIA. It isn't sharing like it's supposed > to. > > Fine. I agree with that. But how can you go from there to saying > GTK is > good because it allows--no, invites--you to do what NVIDIA does? The > whole point of the LGPL is to allow you to add something to GTK > without > having to compensate the GTK developers with either money or source > code. bzzzzt. Writing apps in GTK isn't 'adding to' GTK. > Don't get me wrong. Personally, I couldn't care less what motivates > people to use Qt, GTK, Java, Python or the practically useless GCJ > (GNU > Java compiler). Clearly! > What irks me is when someone advocates inferior > solutions purely in the name of open source, especially when those > so-called open-source solutions so clearly violate the spirit of open > source. > > If you want a good example of the right attitude, look no further than > Linus Torvalds, Linux creator. You don't have to agree with his > methods > or his decisions, but I don't see how anyone can impugn his motives. > > Here is a man who cares about what's right and what has practical > value. But not in that order!!!! :) > So what are we to make of the fact that Linus Torvalds criticized > GNOME > and recommended KDE? Here we have the creator of the Linux kernel > criticizing what many see as the poster child of open source and > recommending the evil Qt-based KDE. Why would our open-source hero say > such a thing? Because in his opinion (an opinion I share), the GNOME > design is so bad it should be considered a disease. He's putting words into Linus's mouth. Bad journalist. Bad. Linus seems to have a problem with GNOME's rigidity, which isn't the same thing. > You don't have to agree with him, but it's plain that his > recommendation > is based on his opinion of what works best. There's no sign of > misguided > zealotry or religion in that recommendation. Use what's best. What a > concept. Linux developers seem to get it. It's about time the > open-source zealots got it too. Stunned. > Nicholas Petreley is Editor in Chief of Linux Journal and a former > programmer, teacher, analyst and consultant who has been working with > and writing about Linux for more than ten years.