7 ms·

But "Free Software" doesn't liberate you as much as "Open Source Software" - with BSD licensed "open source" projects, I can literally do whatever I want with t

But "Free Software" doesn't liberate you as much as "Open Source Software" - with BSD licensed "open source" projects, I can literally do whatever I want with the code. With GPL licensed "free software" projects, I am not allowed to distribute in certain ways, locked out of packaging with certain other licensed code in certain ways. >> Seriously, it's not the software that's free (as in libre), it's you Except that it's the exact opposite

patrickaljord 16y ago
> Except that it's the exact opposite You're wrong. GPL makes you free like human rights do: You are free to do whatever you want as long as you don't step on other people freedom. With the GPL, you can do whatever you want with the software except prohibiting users to do whatever they want with the software, with BSD you can do whatever you want with the software including prohibiting users to do what they want. GPL promotes freedom, BSD does not.
- moxiemk1 16y ago
  > With the GPL, you can do whatever you want with the software except prohibiting users to do whatever they want with the software The GPL can prohibit me from distributing the program modified to depend on proprietary closed-source code, even if that's what I want to do with the software. > with BSD you can do whatever you want with the software including prohibiting users to do what they want. Exactly - the point is that BSD doesn't limit me at all, and the GPL limits me fairly severely. The GPL guarantees that the code under the GPL and all its derivatives will remain free forever - the code is free. The BSD license guarantees that I have the freedom to do whatever I want.
  - patrickaljord 16y ago
    > Exactly - the point is that BSD doesn't limit me at all, and the GPL limits me fairly severely. But the BSD allows you to limit what your users can do, the GPL does not. Again, this is how all our democracies and human rights work.
    - brownleej 16y ago
      No, it is most certainly not. In most, if not all, democracies, you have the right to restrict the freedoms of others through contract. For instance, if you want to buy a piece of furniture from me, I can impose conditions on how you use it. This is not common practice, because it isn't feasible to enforce and most people selling furniture don't care. However, it wouldn't be a violation of your human rights. Democracies allow us to limit the freedom of others as a condition of them engaging in commerce with us. No human rights are violated.
      - patrickaljord 16y ago
        I never said human rights are being violated. I'm saying that human rights work the same way by allowing you to do whatever you want as long as you don't step on others freedom.
kragen 16y ago
All of the BSD licenses, and also the GPL, are free-software licenses, as well as open-source licenses. If you want to argue about which particular licenses are more or less free or open, you should do it in a separate thread, ideally on a separate site, instead of trying to derail this thread.

patrickaljord 16y ago

> Except that it's the exact opposite You're wrong. GPL makes you free like human rights do: You are free to do whatever you want as long as you don't step on other people freedom. With the GPL, you can do whatever you want with the software except prohibiting users to do whatever they want with the software, with BSD you can do whatever you want with the software including prohibiting users to do what they want. GPL promotes freedom, BSD does not.

moxiemk1 16y ago
> With the GPL, you can do whatever you want with the software except prohibiting users to do whatever they want with the software The GPL can prohibit me from distributing the program modified to depend on proprietary closed-source code, even if that's what I want to do with the software. > with BSD you can do whatever you want with the software including prohibiting users to do what they want. Exactly - the point is that BSD doesn't limit me at all, and the GPL limits me fairly severely. The GPL guarantees that the code under the GPL and all its derivatives will remain free forever - the code is free. The BSD license guarantees that I have the freedom to do whatever I want.
- patrickaljord 16y ago
  > Exactly - the point is that BSD doesn't limit me at all, and the GPL limits me fairly severely. But the BSD allows you to limit what your users can do, the GPL does not. Again, this is how all our democracies and human rights work.
  - brownleej 16y ago
    No, it is most certainly not. In most, if not all, democracies, you have the right to restrict the freedoms of others through contract. For instance, if you want to buy a piece of furniture from me, I can impose conditions on how you use it. This is not common practice, because it isn't feasible to enforce and most people selling furniture don't care. However, it wouldn't be a violation of your human rights. Democracies allow us to limit the freedom of others as a condition of them engaging in commerce with us. No human rights are violated.
    - patrickaljord 16y ago
      I never said human rights are being violated. I'm saying that human rights work the same way by allowing you to do whatever you want as long as you don't step on others freedom.

kragen 16y ago

All of the BSD licenses, and also the GPL, are free-software licenses, as well as open-source licenses. If you want to argue about which particular licenses are more or less free or open, you should do it in a separate thread, ideally on a separate site, instead of trying to derail this thread.