[Python-mode] FSF assignment policy

[Beverley Eyre]

Andreas wrote:
>
> IMO assignment policy contradicts the spirit of free software.
> It shows very unpleasant damages in mind
> already. Copyright is an important issue now, taken
> very seriously. Before code was exchanged freely, as
> Richard told nicely the very beginnings of the
> movement. Meanwhile we came to the opposite: jealously
> and meticulous line counting habits.
>
> Assignment stifles cooperation rather then being helpful.
>
>    
<snip>
> My offer was and is: let's cooperate. There are enough
> things to do beside pure code-writing. Nor should the
> assignment nor the GPL-versions-question block
> cooperation completely. We must respect hindrances as
> it exists, that's right.
>
>    
I find that, in all this discussion, only Andreas and I seem to be talking about the big picture rather than debating legal points.

 From my pov, I volunteer to help a worthy effort to make an emacs mode that I frequently use better, and suddenly I'm being menaced by
a representative of a powerful organization, telling me to ceases and desist immediately or face potential legal action. This scenario
rings a bell.

This is from wikipedia on rms' page:
"In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the hacker culture that Stallman thrived in began to fragment. To prevent software from
being used on their competitors' computers, most manufacturers stopped distributing source code and began using copyright
and restrictive software licenses to limit or prohibit copying and redistribution."

Hmmm...... "...began using copyright and restrictive software licenses to limit or prohibit copying and redistribution."


Dave said in a previous email that it was bizarre that I should try to lecture him on the original impetus that
motivated those who started the open source movement. But from where I sit, some of those involved have lost their way.
Whether it's Microsoft menacing me with lawyers so I don't use their code, or GNU.org menacing me with lawyers so I don't
use their code, is irrelevant. It all looks the same from here.

In my first reply to Dave I asked whether it would be possible to cooperate in this endeavor. Andreas just asked again. Personally,
I don't really care whether any product of a 'merge' effort is distributed with Emacs. If you have to get it from python.org, that's fine
with me, and really, not a bad idea. Maybe we can agree up-front that a new python-mode.el won't be distributed with GNU Emacs and join forces
to write a better mode for python users with the 'assignment' issue out of the way once and for all.

Bev