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>I feel that we're in a post-revolutionary phase of open source[1] -- and we no longer need the radical instruments of the GPL We need the GPL now more than ev

>I feel that we're in a post-revolutionary phase of open source[1] -- and we no longer need the radical instruments of the GPL We need the GPL now more than ever. Free software is in everything, yet users are less free than ever. Almost everything users interact with on their phone is proprietary software built on permissively licensed free software. If you think the GPL is no longer needed, then user freedom was never your goal.

goodplay 10y ago
I used to be a big fan of prtmissive licenses until I bought a $700+ android phone a couple of years back and discovered that it did not "support" my native language (it could render the glyphs but system-wide support was not enabled). Having extensive experience with unicode and how text is usually rendered, I knew exactly how to fix the issue; the fix was likely as simple as injecting an SO that hijacks a specific system library function. However, because the phone was locked down, I was unable to fix the problem myself. All important system apps including SMS and the browser displayed gibberish. It was the most expensive brick I ever bought. This experience taught me the true value of the GPL and why user freedom far outweighs the freedom of developers.
- davexunit 10y ago
  Thanks for sharing your story. I think English speaking people, particularly in first-world countries, don't realize how inaccessible a lot of software is for so many people because those people don't align with the business interests of a company.
  - goodplay 10y ago
    You're welcome. I must stress that I do not blame developers for not catering for a language they do not speak, and I can't blame I company for not supporting a group of people if it doesn't make business sense. I do, however, hold a grudge against a company that prevents me from fixing an issue in a product I payed for and own. More so when the fix is for a issue that renders the device useless and is incredibly easy to fix.
inimino 10y ago
Your assumption is that the GPL is a good way to reach that goal. I think we have enough data by now to reject that hypothesis.
- davexunit 10y ago
  I disagree strongly. The only systems that are truly free are thanks to the GPL. Linux would not be as successful without the GPL. We wouldn't have free router firmware from Linksys without the GPL. The GPL works and works well.
  - inimino 10y ago
    As you say, users are less free than ever. The GPL works for what it does, but if you care about user freedom in the real world, and not only the ideas Stallman formed thirty years ago, look around. The GPL hasn't made any meaningful difference outside of developer circles.

goodplay 10y ago

I used to be a big fan of prtmissive licenses until I bought a $700+ android phone a couple of years back and discovered that it did not "support" my native language (it could render the glyphs but system-wide support was not enabled). Having extensive experience with unicode and how text is usually rendered, I knew exactly how to fix the issue; the fix was likely as simple as injecting an SO that hijacks a specific system library function. However, because the phone was locked down, I was unable to fix the problem myself. All important system apps including SMS and the browser displayed gibberish. It was the most expensive brick I ever bought. This experience taught me the true value of the GPL and why user freedom far outweighs the freedom of developers.

davexunit 10y ago
Thanks for sharing your story. I think English speaking people, particularly in first-world countries, don't realize how inaccessible a lot of software is for so many people because those people don't align with the business interests of a company.
- goodplay 10y ago
  You're welcome. I must stress that I do not blame developers for not catering for a language they do not speak, and I can't blame I company for not supporting a group of people if it doesn't make business sense. I do, however, hold a grudge against a company that prevents me from fixing an issue in a product I payed for and own. More so when the fix is for a issue that renders the device useless and is incredibly easy to fix.

inimino 10y ago

Your assumption is that the GPL is a good way to reach that goal. I think we have enough data by now to reject that hypothesis.

davexunit 10y ago
I disagree strongly. The only systems that are truly free are thanks to the GPL. Linux would not be as successful without the GPL. We wouldn't have free router firmware from Linksys without the GPL. The GPL works and works well.
- inimino 10y ago
  As you say, users are less free than ever. The GPL works for what it does, but if you care about user freedom in the real world, and not only the ideas Stallman formed thirty years ago, look around. The GPL hasn't made any meaningful difference outside of developer circles.