Brian Aker Responds To RMS On Dual Licensing 212
krow (Brian Aker, long-time MySQL developer) writes "Richard Stallman's comments on the Oracle Acquisition of Sun left me scratching my head over his continued support of closed-source licensing around open source software. Having spent more than a decade in the MySQL community, I feel that his understanding of the dual-license model is limited, and is at odds with his advocacy of free software. For this reason, I believe his recent statements concerning it need to be addressed. By pushing for the right to turn GPL-licensed software into the heart of a proprietary business model, he is squandering an opportunity for advocacy of open source within the European Union."
Re:So what (Score:2, Funny)
To call Stallman a kook and crackpot would be overly flattering. He isn't concerned with "freedom", he is only interested in pushing a personal agenda. That's what the GPL is really all about. If you truly believe in software freedom then you absolutely reject the entire notion of software licensing.
Have you ever bought a book? Furniture? Clothing? A toaster, microwave or television? Did you have to agree to a license before you could use any of these items? NO. If you want software freedom, then there is only one license -- no license at all. Here's the software, you are free do do what you want.
The makers of proprietary software force you to agree to a massive, complicated license before you can use their products because they want to control and restrict what you can do. Let's not pretend that GPL software is any different.
Ah yes, the WTFPL [zoy.org].
Re:Sorry, not a single statement (Score:4, Funny)
So, I'm an unethical evil person because I make money writing proprietary software.
He didn't say that, although you could infer it. He said the software was evil. He also talks about Freedom for software, so clearly there's an element of anthropomorphism going on here. Information wants to be free!
Sorry, my brain isn't big enough to hold the cognitive dissonance that is Stallman -- he gives me a headache.
Mission accomplished.