[clug] Why do we do what we do in Linux? [was Re: Text editor]
Bryan Kilgallin
bryan at netspeed.com.au
Thu Oct 30 06:47:09 MDT 2014
Thanks, Scott:
>> The Linux kernel development project is not-for-profit.
I am familiar with the non-profit sector in Canberra.
>> That companies sponsor the
>> majority of development doesn't change that - Linux as a whole is
>> fiercely anti-commercial, but not against the idea that people should be
>> able to profit from Linux.
That seems then to be a softened ferocity!
>> Which is why companies are happy to fund it's development in order to
>> support the bits that aid their enterprise - why reinvent the wheel?
I am not familiar with this subject.
>> And
>> coders - why not get paid to do what you'd do anyway (a wage can only
>> buy so much loyalty to the employer).
At ANU Geology Department, I witnessed retired scientists pottering in
provided offices.
>> Note that the commercial sector - e.g. RedHat and SUSE, are built on,
>> and from libre software.
I am not familiar with those distributions.
>> That people can make money from it, just as you
>> can make money from Ubuntu, doesn't change the nature of FOSS.
This seems to be some passionate manifesto.
>> As the one time director of Sun once said "I accept that I may never be
>> able to employ the best" (but he was smart enough to fund their projects).
In the mining industry, I was familiar with economic distortion and
dinosaur mentality!
>> Reading the terms of the main licenses used in "Linux" should prove
>> enlightening.
I had thought that software licensing was legalese dismissed by "Agree"!
>> "Free" as in "free to
>> change, modify, or build commercial products from" - not just "free" as
>> in "no money required".
I do not feel sufficiently competent to attempt the former.
> All the Hackerspaces/Maker communities I'm familiar with welcome anyone.
Whereas I know of one that has formally rejected me!
>>> I hope that clarifies things a little - and may help you understand why
>>> "Linux" is very strongly a "do-ocracy" that listens to users - but is
>>> not driven by users (at least, not the main, non-commercial distros).
Unfortunately, I do not find clichés enlightening.
Best wishes.
--
www.netspeed.com.au/bryan/
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