[sword-devel] My personal OpenSource ideologies

[Chris]

>We'll change it!  That would be unfortunate, and I don't believe legal
>(I don't think they can retroactively change their license on code
>they've already released under one license, but instead a new license
>would apply, only for future releases)

You see, this is a situation where open and closed source don't work 
well together. If Sword were
a closed source project - no problem. You've already got a licence and 
ObjectSpace can't change it.
But in an open source project, developers come and go. And those 
developers that come, don't
have a licence. So the argument that "we already have a licence", only 
applies if you are prepared
to lock out anybody new starting to work on the code.

>I am a commercial software engineer and make my
>living writing and selling proprietary software.  That's the American
>way.  We strive to make the PLAYING FIELD level in this country, NOT the
>people.  We can excel because our country gives us that opportunity, and
>without commercial, 'closed' competition you wouldn't have a 2GHz
>computer on your desk.
>
<devils advocate>Well then, aren't you ashamed to be putting commercial 
bible publishers out of business? Sword is NOT competing on the level 
playing field. You are destroying the normal business economics of 
software development by working for free and giving it away.</devils 
advocate>

You know, American capitalism is not better than socialism because of 
some inherent moral principle. It's better because people are inherently 
lazy, selfish and greedy and aren't prepared to work hard for a common 
good. Don't make a necessity into a virtue.