4 ms·

So every webpage should send the whole source code at each page render? That's not very efficient. Also, how can the plugin know if the provided source code i

So every webpage should send the whole source code at each page render? That's not very efficient. Also, how can the plugin know if the provided source code is correct without compiling it and comparing the outputs?

Y_Y 2y ago
A moment's thought will hopefully provide you with the answer to both those questions
maxlybbert 2y ago
You clearly aren’t familiar with GNU or the Free Software Foundation. There’s nothing wrong with that: everybody starts out without being familiar with anything. In a nutshell, Richard Stallman worked in MIT’s AI lab in the 1970s. The lab had a certain ethos that he loved ( https://www.gnu.org/gnu/rms-lisp.html https://www.gnu.org/gnu/rms-lisp.html , https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/stallman-kth.en.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/stallman-kth.en.html ), but when it became common for software to be sold without the source code, he actually decided to start a foundation to recreate that lab ethos ( https://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.en.html https://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.en.html ). A lot of programmers agree with his view that refusing to give users source code, and legal permission to use that source code without restriction, is a terrible afront to freedom. However, people have spent decades telling Stallman that if they adopted his principles, they couldn’t use their computers in the modern world. Every so often, he makes a declaration about various distinctions (it’s okay to use a computer even though the firmware isn’t free; it’s okay to read documents on the web, but any JavaScript should be treated as a program and you should insist on an acceptable license; he, personally doesn’t own a cell phone, but sees no problem with using somebody else’s non-free phone in a case-by-case basis; etc.). This is simply an extension to enforce one of his rules. Some programmers will feel bad about themselves if they don’t live up to Stallman’s expectations.
- Y_Y 2y ago
  Thank you for writing such a kind and helpful comment and really putting to shame my lazy sarcasm in the sibling.
  - maxlybbert 2y ago
    I’m honestly surprised I didn’t get any “how dare you say it’s all about feeling bad if we don’t do what Stallman says?” comments. I was trying to play it as straight as I could, without sounding like a crank. I’m not always successful.
rakoo 2y ago
GNU licenses don't mandate for the source code to be sent all te time. It only says that it must be available upon request, and the author must give pointers to get it (an url to download content or inspect it, an email to ask, ...)
- gbalduzzi 2y ago
  I'm talking about this library, not free software in general. How can it know when to block a website? Does an human curate a white/black list of valid websites?
  - rakoo 2y ago
    It checks for the license header that developers should put in the served file. It does some exceptions for trivial code

Y_Y 2y ago

A moment's thought will hopefully provide you with the answer to both those questions

maxlybbert 2y ago

You clearly aren’t familiar with GNU or the Free Software Foundation. There’s nothing wrong with that: everybody starts out without being familiar with anything. In a nutshell, Richard Stallman worked in MIT’s AI lab in the 1970s. The lab had a certain ethos that he loved ( https://www.gnu.org/gnu/rms-lisp.html https://www.gnu.org/gnu/rms-lisp.html , https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/stallman-kth.en.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/stallman-kth.en.html ), but when it became common for software to be sold without the source code, he actually decided to start a foundation to recreate that lab ethos ( https://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.en.html https://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.en.html ). A lot of programmers agree with his view that refusing to give users source code, and legal permission to use that source code without restriction, is a terrible afront to freedom. However, people have spent decades telling Stallman that if they adopted his principles, they couldn’t use their computers in the modern world. Every so often, he makes a declaration about various distinctions (it’s okay to use a computer even though the firmware isn’t free; it’s okay to read documents on the web, but any JavaScript should be treated as a program and you should insist on an acceptable license; he, personally doesn’t own a cell phone, but sees no problem with using somebody else’s non-free phone in a case-by-case basis; etc.). This is simply an extension to enforce one of his rules. Some programmers will feel bad about themselves if they don’t live up to Stallman’s expectations.

Y_Y 2y ago
Thank you for writing such a kind and helpful comment and really putting to shame my lazy sarcasm in the sibling.
- maxlybbert 2y ago
  I’m honestly surprised I didn’t get any “how dare you say it’s all about feeling bad if we don’t do what Stallman says?” comments. I was trying to play it as straight as I could, without sounding like a crank. I’m not always successful.

rakoo 2y ago

GNU licenses don't mandate for the source code to be sent all te time. It only says that it must be available upon request, and the author must give pointers to get it (an url to download content or inspect it, an email to ask, ...)

gbalduzzi 2y ago
I'm talking about this library, not free software in general. How can it know when to block a website? Does an human curate a white/black list of valid websites?
- rakoo 2y ago
  It checks for the license header that developers should put in the served file. It does some exceptions for trivial code