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I want to elaborate a bit why I dislike Facebook's BSD + PATENTS license: I believe Facebook was built, in part, using software under MIT, BSD, Apache, etc – I

by shock 9y ago

I want to elaborate a bit why I dislike Facebook's BSD + PATENTS license: I believe Facebook was built, in part, using software under MIT, BSD, Apache, etc – I see it as immoral when they turn around and release OSS software under BSD + PATENTS. BSD + PATENTS sounds like a great idea in theory – if every company released under BSD + PATENTS it would essentially render the patent system toothless, except for the patent trolls who would still be free to sue whomever they want. In practice, however, it would be hard for BSD + PATENTS to have widespread adoption because it would be seen as a loss of value to shareholders, especially as for some companies their patent portfolio is an important part of their valuation. IANAL.

TAForObvReasons 9y ago
What you are describing is essentially "ladder kicking", which was the top comment from the discussion a few months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14779881 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14779881 > Having known so many people involved with Facebook for so long, I have come up with a phrase to describe the cultural phenomenon I’ve witnessed among them – ladder kicking. Basically, people who get a leg up from others, and then do everything in their power to ensure nobody else manages to get there. No, it’s not “human nature” or “how it works.” Silicon Valley and the tech industry at large weren’t built by these sorts of people, and we need to be more active in preventing this mind-virus from spreading.
- shock 9y ago
  Thank you for linking the other discussion, it is much more eloquent than my own comment. The bit that worries me is: They’ve built their entire business on the back of open source software that wasn’t ever encumbered with the sort of nonsense they’ve attached to their own projects. And this industry is just going to let them have it, because the stuff they are putting out is shiny and “convenient” and free? Are we really allowing them to do this for the sake of convenience?

by shock 9y ago

TAForObvReasons 9y ago

What you are describing is essentially "ladder kicking", which was the top comment from the discussion a few months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14779881 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14779881 > Having known so many people involved with Facebook for so long, I have come up with a phrase to describe the cultural phenomenon I’ve witnessed among them – ladder kicking. Basically, people who get a leg up from others, and then do everything in their power to ensure nobody else manages to get there. No, it’s not “human nature” or “how it works.” Silicon Valley and the tech industry at large weren’t built by these sorts of people, and we need to be more active in preventing this mind-virus from spreading.

shock 9y ago
Thank you for linking the other discussion, it is much more eloquent than my own comment. The bit that worries me is: They’ve built their entire business on the back of open source software that wasn’t ever encumbered with the sort of nonsense they’ve attached to their own projects. And this industry is just going to let them have it, because the stuff they are putting out is shiny and “convenient” and free? Are we really allowing them to do this for the sake of convenience?