Re: Merry Xmas and a... OMG, what did you just say?

["Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson" <johann@myrkraverk.com>]

"Robert J. Chassell" <bob@rattlesnake.com> writes:

> Steve Youngs <steve@sxemacs.org> wrote
>
>   o I want a development environment that doesn't get boiled
>           down in "politics".
>
> That is wonderful!  

Yes, it's great ;)

> What method are you going to use?  After all, neither you nor any
> other developer is interested in politics, but must have others force
> politics upon you.

We have the PPM to resolve most "political" issues -- I hope.

> The XEmacs people decided on irrelevance: be obscure, do not do
> anything that supports the rights of others to develop.  The GNU
> people decided to fight, even though they do not want to.
> Fortunately, that mostly means most do not have to fight.

I do not understand, I don't think I want to even try.

> Are you going to make sure that every contributor makes sure his or
> her employer or university provides legal papers that will convince a
> judge that the contributor has or had the legal right to contribute?
> That way when someone unfriendly sues a company you have never heard
> of for plagiarism (obviously, no one will sue you or other developers)
> the case is thrown out of court.

What do you mean?  Do not assume US laws apply to the rest of the
world!  In Iceland, I don't think any company or organization can
suppress a contribution and I have the court rulings to back it up.

Individual contributors will simply have to guarantee the legality of
their contributions.  Is that concept so hard to understand?

> Or are you planning to be so irrelevant and obscure that no one
> takes someone else to court?

Some of us live in countries where stupid law suits don't happen.  Or
get thrown out of court or ruled *right*.  At least I've heard no
horror stories about any.

> Also, how are you planning to avoid the politics of patents?  No one
> into software development and freedom will go near them, unless
> forced to.  So what will give you the power to keep them away
> (besides being obviously irrelevant, or are you planning on
> irrelevance)?

What software patents?  There is no such thing in europe (yet) and I
honestly don't think there ever will be (for long anyway).  I can't
wouch for Australia (where Steve is), but I presume the laws there are
roughly compatible with the British ones.

I get annoyed when people think the world is limited to the United
States of a certain continent.

Johann

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