Python is slow?

[Ben Finney]

Steven D'Aprano <steven at REMOVE.THIS.cybersource.com.au> writes:

> On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:50:26 +1300, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
> 
> > In message <gbr4ks$1vv$1 at aioe.org>, r0g wrote:
> > 
> >> You can only distribute modifications to gnuplot itself as
> >> patches, but you can distribute it freely ...
[…]

> Where's the non-free bit?

You're not free to modify gnuplot and redistribute the result.

That you're free to distribute patches is nice, but it's not enough to
make the work free. The freedom to help people by giving them an
*already-modified* gnuplot is restricted by the copyright holder.

It's an artificial restriction on redistribution of derived works,
making them second-class for the prupose of getting them into people's
hands.

> Personally, I don't get the whole "only distribute patches"
> requirement. It's a bit like saying "You're free to distribute this
> software, but only as a tarball". It seems silly to me.

That, too, would be a non-free requirement.

> But I don't see it as non-free, except in the sense that "only
> licences approved by the FSF are free".

I try to judge freedom of a software work by the freedoms granted to
all recipients of the work, not by the approval of some organisation.

-- 
 \     “When I turned two I was really anxious, because I'd doubled my |
  `\   age in a year. I thought, if this keeps up, by the time I'm six |
_o__)                                  I'll be ninety.” —Steven Wright |
Ben Finney