MESSAGE
| DATE | 2010-01-01 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] mysql issues
|
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 2010 13:41:59 -0500
From: Ruben Safir
To: hangout-at-nylxs.com
Cc: rms-at-fsf.org, ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com
Subject: Help save MySQL; Sign the petition
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.18 (2008-05-17)
On Fri, Jan 01, 2010 at 01:16:21PM -0500, Ruben Safir wrote:
>
> Ruben Safir wrote:
> > On Fri, Jan 01, 2010 at 04:39:38AM -0500, Ron Guerin wrote:
> >
> >> Ruben Safir wrote:
> >>
> >>> I just don't know what to make of this. Monty emailed me this today and
> >>> sent a private message.
> >>> I'd like to here some opinions on this,
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >> My recollection is that the FSF has come out against this position.
> >> You might also want to look this over:
> >> http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20091208104422384
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > What is YOUR opinion
>
> My opinion, is largely based on the fact that MySQL didn't become Free
> Software until VA Linux handed them a check for a million dollars. I
> think Monty was never really on board with us, and Larry Augustin's
> money is long ago spent. I suspect he's had a case of seller's remorse
> now that he can't dual-license MySQL code anymore so now he's trying to
> dump the GPL.
>
I think this issue is complex. Monty is no doubt not a die in the wool
Free Software advocate. We had him as an NYLXS award winner years ago
and the amount of effort that he put into free software support for
MYSQL was herculinian (sp?) so I do believe that he has deep Free
Software scrupples, but he definitely percieves of his economic interest
in an ability to dual license, and more importantly, he seems to have
business contacts that strongly believe in the need to obtain closed
sources licensing. Its just kind of funny for me to read that Larry
paid Monty to put MYSQL under the GPL because I think Monty is a far
greater Free Software advocate than Larry.
I think there are a couple of things driving this and one aspect of this
which needs to be understood. First, when Monty sold the TM and
original copyrights to MYSQL to Sun, I think part of his calculation was
that ***HE IS MYSQL***, so nothing he was doing was going to really
affect his long turm relationship with his work...as long as his
relationship with Sun Microsystems remained cordial. He doesn't have
that relationship with Oracle. In fact, I'm sure he was spent a good
part of his life skirmishing with Ellison's mega-giant..and there is a
lot of bad blood. And now his business contacts are gathering around
him trying to leverage as much as possible long term control of MYSQL.
I don't think Monty is really thinking about this clearly. The GPL is
the biggest thing that protects him. In they remove that protection
Oracle is going to swallow up MYSQL like Apple has Darwin
Note what happened here:
http://store.psystar.com/
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct2=us%2F0_0_s_0_2_aa&usg=AFQjCNFaj35V8sV0pinZcr_B8ZSKW2JQbw&cid=17593682345270&ei=Bz8-S-jyBuOYlQe7-sj0AQ&rt=SEARCH&vm=STANDARD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.osnews.com%2Fstory%2F22668%2FPsystar_Switches_to_Linux_Temporarily_Halts_Sales_of_Rebel_EFI
http://www.osnews.com/story/22668/Psystar_Switches_to_Linux_Temporarily_Halts_Sales_of_Rebel_EFI
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=5544
Secondly, What was Monty thinking? Sun has been in economic turmoil for
a decade. He's had been better off buying Sun then selling to them?
Once he sold that trademark to them, he was playing Russian Rollette
with his lifes work. So why did he sell? Because Sun made him a
BILLIONAIRE. I was so happy for him. He is getting older in years and
he worked his ass off in the most generous possible way and then he
finally got a HUGE pay day..one that he absolutely earned and deserved.
He did everything right, IMO and dealt with everyone fairly. Oracle can
NEVER match the technical back ground and the customer support, the
community support, that Monty has for over a decade. The man is a one
man army..the single most involved individual I'd ever seen in tech
community. He is a template and icon of community help and resources.
Go look at the MYSQL website archives. He's answered questions from me
and EVERYONE ELSE ON THE GLOBE about MYSQL from the C code base, to PHP
trivialies, newbies and the most advanced users alike, since at least
1996. Your going to buy a MYSQL support license, who are you going to
buy it from, Oracle or Monty. This is a no brainer.
Let him fork under the GPL. He's not losing any money and removing the
GPL from MYSQL is a dangerous game, IMO.
Lastly, I'm not in agreement of his interpretation of the GPL, although
I'm double checking with Richard. Who says you can't build proprietary
apps on top of Free Software without extra legal clauses?
Ruben
--
http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Interesting Stuff
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software
So many immigrant groups have swept through our town that Brooklyn, like Atlantis, reaches mythological proportions in the mind of the world - RI Safir 1998
http://fairuse.nylxs.com DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI Safir 2002
"Yeah - I write Free Software...so SUE ME"
"The tremendous problem we face is that we are becoming sharecroppers to our own cultural heritage -- we need the ability to participate in our own society."
"> I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be damned.<
You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have been attached at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt. I guess you missed that one."
? Copyright for the Digital Millennium
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