From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: "Robert J. Chassell" Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: MAINTAINERS file Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 16:39:35 +0000 (UTC) Message-ID: References: <18375.18663.981150.252393@kahikatea.snap.net.nz> <87zlte3848.fsf@ambire.localdomain> <877igipc17.fsf@jbms.ath.cx> <87tzjmnsiz.fsf@jbms.ath.cx> Reply-To: bob@rattlesnake.com NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1204908018 15095 80.91.229.12 (7 Mar 2008 16:40:18 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 16:40:18 +0000 (UTC) To: emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Fri Mar 07 17:40:44 2008 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1JXfcJ-0008Px-Qj for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:40:20 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1JXfbm-0005S3-4s for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:39:46 -0500 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1JXfbi-0005Rm-16 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:39:42 -0500 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1JXfbc-0005QR-Fr for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:39:40 -0500 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1JXfbc-0005QH-8D for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:39:36 -0500 Original-Received: from cpe-69-204-130-115.nycap.res.rr.com ([69.204.130.115] helo=rattlesnake.com) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1JXfbb-0003Yr-Sz for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:39:36 -0500 Original-Received: by rattlesnake.com via sendmail from stdin id (Debian Smail3.2.0.115) Fri, 7 Mar 2008 16:39:35 +0000 (UTC) In-reply-to: (lekktu@gmail.com) X-detected-kernel: by monty-python.gnu.org: Linux 2.6 (newer, 1) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:91641 Archived-At: ... I specifically said "selecting among the free alternatives" ... In English, the word `free' has two meanings, `no charge' or `gratis' and `freedom' or `libre'. Thus there is a `free market' meaning people may enter legally, but there may be a charge for products, and `free beer' meaning gratis beer. (Beer sold in a free market would be `free market beer'.) Some software is gratis but is restricted. In addition, there is a methodology, called `open software development', which confuses matters. The GNU Project is concerned with freedom, which is to say, freedom, free markets, and the free press. It is not concerned with cost. As it happens, software is a high initial, low incremental cost product, like law, armies, or reading: an initial program costs a fair amount since it must be written, but a copied program costs little. So the technology is one in which in a competitive market, a `free market', the price of software drops. Indeed, the price when unrestricted, for software for which you have freedom is often considered gratis by the end user. That is why the opponents of a market with freedom, the opponents of `free markets', seek governmental enforcements of restrictions on sales. They are against the freedom of others to pay the price that competition would ensure. Moreover, they like to call those restrictions `property', as if the restrictions applied to a ship rather than to software. -- Robert J. Chassell GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8 bob@rattlesnake.com bob@gnu.org http://www.rattlesnake.com http://www.teak.cc