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Re: [LUG] GLUG - free and non-free



Quoting Neil Williams:

Nobody owns software, least of all the author.
Nobody has the right to stop me getting a copy of any software freely.
Code is NOT a material object and cannot be considered alongside physical 
objects that require materials to be consumed by production. Rules that apply
to a car or a sandwich do NOT apply to speech or code.

I'm sorry, but much as I agree with many of the principles of liberty (I'm
avoiding using the word free on purpose, it's causing too much confusion) and
openness this seems ridiculous!

(the following is hypothetical)

If I program some code, it's entirley my choice as to what I do with it.  It's
mine.  The way I release it, either GPL (as I am likley to do) is entirley my
perogative.  I'm also entirley entitled to not release it like that.  You may
disagree with that decision as you are entitled to do, but you can't tell me
that the code I have written isn't mine.  Other people may use / modify it but
it doesn't change the fact that the original code is mine.

Just because we are free to express opinions doesn't mean we can go round making
false statements.  If someone was to go round claiming I said something I
didn't, I have the right to recourse, such as accusing them of slander.   Do you
not hear often that "You own your words"?

Alex.

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