Python Cannot be Killed

Jarek Zgoda jzgoda at gazeta.usun.pl
Tue Jun 17 18:18:25 EDT 2003


Peter Hansen <peter at engcorp.com> pisze:

>> >> More than that - unlike Kerberos, Python can not be taken by any
>> >> particular company and become its "flagship", while being screwed.
>> >>
>> >> Software Craftsmen, please, consider this fact when choosing a license
>> >> for your product - only GNU GPL guarantees that your code will not be
>> >> "taken away" by any company.
>> >
>> > Python is not GPL (something has changed from yesterday?)
>> > It is GPL compatible. This is not the same.
>> 
>> Did I say "Python Craftsmen"? No, I didn't...
> 
> You said "Software Craftsmen", and Python _is_ software.
> 
> Now you need to explain how the Python license would allow a company
> to "take away" Python from those who work on it.
> 
> If you can't do this, the truth of your statement that "only GNU GPL" 
> guarantees this is brought into question.

The current Python license, as found at
http://www.python.org/doc/current/lib/node630.html may only be
considered "freedom compatible", not "free". If you are Python
developer, you probably don't have any possibility to change current
software license. Developing software with Python (not developing
Python) is other story and this was the case.

I was talking about the other case - when you are a software
developer at our own. That's why I used a term "Craftsman", not an usual
"Author" or anything you may find in usual licenses. I meant the people
who have an unpaid interest in improving software that is in daily use.

If you want to go ballistic after Python license - go on. After all I
will assume Python is still only "freedom-compatible" software - and
"freedom-compatibility" doesn't equal freedom. From european history of
last 70 years you can learn, that you can have some freedoms, tha are
unhumane, so just declaring "freedom" is just nothing. A "freedom
compatibility" is not more anyway. Python (as a language library) can be
"freedom compatible" - but if your software doesn't follow GPL, it is
not free. Freedom compatibility may be broken in one statement - but
freedom not.

-- 
Jarek Zgoda
Registered Linux User #-1
http://www.zgoda.biz/ JID:zgoda at chrome.pl http://zgoda.jogger.pl/




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