[WEB4LIB] RE:do what's right -- was - RE: The word "listserv" copyrighted?

[Raymond Wood]

> >> What IS this world coming to.
> >> 
> >> PHG

Raymond meandered:
> >A mistake I see sometimes is when people assume that the mock
> >sentiments you express above are based on a 'Free Software'
> >point of view.  Nothing could be further from the truth.
> >
> >In fact Free Software, based as it is on the GNU Public
> >License (GPL) license, uses the mechanisms of copyright to
> >ensure that software remains free -- hence the term
> >'copyleft' for GPL'd software.
> >
> >It is software *patents*, and not copyright issues, that
> >represent a major threat to the future of Free Software (and
> >Software Freedom :)
> >
> >My $0.02,
> >Raymond

On Tue, May 28, 2002 at 03:21:35PM -0700, GRAY, PAUL imagined:
> hey -- 
> If someone wants to create something - whether it is software
> or music or whatever - and place it in the public domain for
> the good of humanity or just because they want to or for
> whatever reason -- that is GREAT!!

The ALL-CAPS presentation is generally regarded as 'shouting' in
net-speak -- please don't shout  :)

> They should be commended - 
> May their tribe increase many fold --- 

I agree.  Point of clarification: 'free software' is not "in the
public domain".  Rather the original author(s) of the software
retain their copyright, but license the software in such a way
that (at least under the GPL license) the software is guaranteed
to stay 'free' (as in beer, and as in speech, as the saying
goes).

> BUT -- I RESENT GREATLY and am very troubled by the attitude
> that just because I CAN access something that I have a RIGHT
> to -- and that no one has the right to restrict or even profit
> from my access and use of anything.

I would be surprised if most people on this list did not agree
with you.  At the same time I also wonder how many of those same
people paid for the copy of the windows operating system on
their computer (assuming they have not seen the light and
switched to GNU/Linux ;)  ?  The statistics might be surprising,
but I suppose we'll never really know for sure...

> It has been accepted for HUNDREDS of years that people who
> invest time and talent into creating something have the right
> to profit from it and to have a say so into how it is used.
> And that right is theirs UNLESS they CHOOSE to relenquish it.
> The fact that the computer makes it easy to circumvent this
> does not make it right.

Yes, agreed.  This is what copyright is all about AFAIK.

> Sorry -- but this is a hot button issue for me -- We have
> raised at least a couple of generations now of folks with no
> concern beyond themselves and a DEMAND for their own rights --
> often where no such right exists -- and a total disregard for
> the rights of anyone else. 

I can see it is a hot button issue -- I can also see that this
is a matter of personal opinion, and that these kinds of
statements are rather large generalizations  ;>

> Yes - my comments were made with what I hoped was clear - and
> relatively good natured sarcasm.  But I deal with enough
> people to know that MANY actually HOLD those attitudes - and
> that troubles me about the state of our society -- 

I suppose I would be troubled by this too if it were to become a
widespread phenomenon.  I'm not sure if this is indeed the case
-- I'm not really sure how such a thing could be measured.

> I'm sorry - but WANTING something - and DESERVING it  -- and
> having a RIGHT to it -- are three VERY different things --- if
> they weren't -- I would be driving a tricked out maroon
> Prowler - instead of a base model Tracker :-)
> 
> Opinions are my own -- NOT to be construed as those of my
> employer  --
> 
> PHG
> Hurst, TX

And by now I gather we are very off-topic, so I'll stop here ;>

Cheers,
Raymond
-- 
"You deserve to be able to cooperate openly and freely with other
people who use software.  You deserve free software."
 -Richard M. Stallman, Free Software Foundation, http://www.fsf.org