Re: [DotGNU]DotGNU Manifesto - Draft Version 0.3

[James Michael DuPont]

--- Rhys Weatherley <address@hidden> wrote:
> On Tuesday 15 April 2003 03:18 am, James Michael DuPont wrote:
> 
> > in order to get dotgnu into
> > the existing business, you will need to have many interfaces into
> other
> > systems. Non -free  and otherwise.
> >
> > That should be also a clear roadmap as to what is useable
> > from the dotgnu system from a lgpl perspective. What parts can I
> use in
> > a non-free system.
> 
> There is nothing stopping a non-free business from using DotGNU as
> they see 
> fit.  The GPL is quite clear that businesses can use GPL'ed code
> internally 
> with no redistribution conditions.  It is only once the code leaves
> the 
> premises that the redistribution conditions activate.  Most
> businesses are 
> consumers of software, not producers, and so there will be no problem
> with 
> them using DotGNU.


Most people cannot use software out of the box.

> 
> I think you are mixing up software consumers with software producers.


Not at all.

>  
> Software producers are held to a higher standard by the GPL, and that
> is the 
> way it should be.  


> Whether we choose to allow non-free producers to
> use our 
> system as a base is a separate issue from how software consumers use
> it.

Most big companies are software producers or at least customizers.
They want to be able to buy into a system and have people customize it
for them. 

I can just look into my experiences and say that any company with over
1000 employees has some for of customized software. If dotgnu cannot
fit into that environment, be able to interface into non free software
and have clearly denoted lgpl interfaces, it will be very difficult to
get into large companies.

mike

=====
James Michael DuPont
http://introspector.sourceforge.net/

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