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000344_news@columbia.edu_Tue Nov 7 00:47:45 1995.msg
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From: huggins@tarski.eecs.umich.edu (James K. Huggins)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.kermit.misc
Subject: Re: New Kermit Tech Support Policies
Date: 07 Nov 1995 00:47:45 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan EECS Dept., Ann Arbor, MI
Lines: 53
Message-Id: <HUGGINS.95Nov6194745@tarski.eecs.umich.edu>
References: <46gt4j$jpl@apakabar.cc.columbia.edu> <47jgl6$msl@Mercury.mcs.com>
<1995Nov5.202002.66006@cc.usu.edu> <47lsd3$4j6@Mars.mcs.com>
Nntp-Posting-Host: tarski.eecs.umich.edu
In-Reply-To: les@MCS.COM's message of 6 Nov 1995 14:49:39 -0600
Apparently-To: kermit.misc@watsun.cc.columbia.edu
In article <47lsd3$4j6@Mars.mcs.com> les@MCS.COM (Leslie Mikesell) writes:
In article <1995Nov5.202002.66006@cc.usu.edu>,
Joe Doupnik <jrd@cc.usu.edu> wrote:
> Here we go again. Les, I think I understand part of your position.
>To exagerate some it says not only should the software be free but it
>should be delivered on a silver platter. That's an overstatement, but
>not by a great deal.
Try it this way: if software is going to claim to be free, distribution
should not be restricted. The concept is bizarre.
Nonsense. The price you pay for the product need not have anything
to do with how you obtain it.
>Would folks be complaining bitterly about
>lack of free delivery? Nope. They'd say that was expected because that is
>what everyone else is doing.
Who else is taking contributed code and limiting acess to it?
GNU (in an odd sort of way). As I understand the standard GNU
copyleft, if you make a GNU product available for re-distribution,
you must make all the source code available as well --- not just
those portions you find interesting or helpful. This is an odd
form of limiting access, but it is a limit: if you want to make it
available, you must follow GNU's rules. Similarly with Kermit: if
you want to make Kermit available, you must follow Kermit's rules.
Why not split the products to follow your argument: allow free
distribution of the original versions with contributed code and
release new commercial versions to recoup the development cost
of the flashy new stuff. Then you could treat everyone the same.
But, I still think the non-free kermits should change their name
unless I am wrong about the history of how the name was obtained.
Frank da Cruz writes in "Kermit: A File Transfer Protocol" (if I
recall correctly) that Kermit was named after the Muppet of the same
name, chiefly because of his friendly and unassuming nature.
At one time in history I believe the "official" story was that Kermit
is translated "free" in Celtic, but that was in part an attempt to
avoid the association with Henson Associates' rights to (the other)
Kermit. Eventually the Henson people were asked for permission
to acknowledge the true origins of the name, and they graciously
agreed.
Again, this is an old argument, which will probably not satisfy
anyone here.
--
Jim Huggins, Univ. of Michigan huggins@umich.edu
"You cannot pray to a personal computer no matter how user-friendly it is."
(PGP key available upon request) W. Bingham Hunter