From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: David Kastrup Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: Do we need legal papers Date: 04 Nov 2003 17:00:51 +0100 Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Message-ID: References: <1E88B416-FCC1-11D7-A154-000A958F13D0@mac.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: deer.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1067961956 30399 80.91.224.253 (4 Nov 2003 16:05:56 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 16:05:56 +0000 (UTC) Cc: nand@mac.com, storm@cua.dk, rms@gnu.org, emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Tue Nov 04 17:05:53 2003 Return-path: Original-Received: from quimby.gnus.org ([80.91.224.244]) by deer.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1AH3gn-0003xq-00 for ; Tue, 04 Nov 2003 17:05:53 +0100 Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by quimby.gnus.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1AH3gm-0004k2-01 for ; Tue, 04 Nov 2003 17:05:53 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.24) id 1AH3dR-0006BL-Bo for emacs-devel@quimby.gnus.org; Tue, 04 Nov 2003 11:02:25 -0500 Original-Received: from list by monty-python.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.24) id 1AH3cl-0006AB-Tm for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 04 Nov 2003 11:01:43 -0500 Original-Received: from mail by monty-python.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.24) id 1AH3cF-00060M-S2 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 04 Nov 2003 11:01:42 -0500 Original-Received: from [217.80.160.91] (helo=localhost.localdomain) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (TLSv1:DES-CBC3-SHA:168) (Exim 4.24) id 1AH3cE-0005zL-IS; Tue, 04 Nov 2003 11:01:11 -0500 Original-Received: from localhost.localdomain (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by localhost.localdomain (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id hA4G0ta6011640 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO); Tue, 4 Nov 2003 17:00:57 +0100 Original-Received: (from dak@localhost) by localhost.localdomain (8.12.8/8.12.8/Submit) id hA4G0qCD011636; Tue, 4 Nov 2003 17:00:52 +0100 Original-To: Andrew Choi In-Reply-To: Original-Lines: 42 User-Agent: Gnus/5.09 (Gnus v5.9.0) Emacs/21.3.50 X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.2 Precedence: list List-Id: Emacs development discussions. List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:17686 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel:17686 Andrew Choi writes: > Richard Stallman writes: > > > Before we install the code, we have to wait for the signed papers > > to be received and recorded. (We may also need papers from his > > employer; I do not know, but fsf-records would have told him.) > > > > Have you read the file maintain.texi which explains these > > procedures? > > Perhaps it is best if I'm relieved from being the Mac maintainer. I > program for the love of programming and not for any other reasons. The love of programming also implies that one wishes well for one's outcome. You are aware that at one point in Emacs' history large parts had to be rewritten from scratch because somebody suddenly decided that parts he contributed in a spirit of "love of programming" should no longer get distributed under the GPL? You are aware that just currently the company SCO is seeking for billions of dollars of damage from users and contributors to Linux because they claim that some contributions might not have been properly legal? You know that the resulting legal battle will drag on for years and serve to seriously hamper Linux acceptance, because it will be used for spreading fear about Linux use while the legal struggles go on, even if one thinks that the outcome is preordained? It's not even amiss to be careful when you never experienced problems. Unfortunately, there have been too many precedents. I agree that the paperwork is a nuisance. Yet I don't see that the price to pay for it is not warranted. > For the record I was never asked and I have never promised to be a > maintainer. One day my name shows up in the MAINTAINER file and > that was it! Of course, this is hardly how things should work.> -- David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum