Re: gnuplot

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

>> Please stop using the GNU mailing lists to promote proprietary
>> software.

This is indeed the accepted rule.  The FSF was founded to fight against
proprietary software, so it seems only normal that it wouldn't want
people to use its mailing lists to promote it (GNU mailing lists use
the resources of the FSF).

> I'd really like to understand what is good and what is evil according to
> the FSF,

http://www.fsf.org/about/ is a good start.

> and - also from sheer curiosity - why is the current thread
> even allowed here (not to mention that there's even a discussion about
> a *possibility* of including gnuplot-mode in Emacs itself, which -
> according to what was said in the mentioned thread - sounds
> sacrilegious).

AFAIK gnuplot is not proprietary software.  Its license is a bit
constraining but I think it is acceptable as Free Software (and that's
also the interpretation of Debian).  I see it's not listed in the Free
Software Directory, so maybe the FSF treats it as just on the other side
of the fence, but I wouldn't take this to mean that the FSF considers
gnuplot as proprietary.

> I'm afraid that - as is often the case - when some organization
> (three-letter or not) says that it aims to "promote [somebody's]
> freedom and to defend the rights of all [somebodies]", it's really
> some politics and not anybody's freedom it's all about.

Of course it's political by nature.  And given how "freedom" works, you
can't provide freedom somewhere without restricting it elsewhere.

But note that "don't promote <foo> on this list" does not prevent anyone
from using <foo>.

> (If there is another explanation for this seemingly unfair treatment
> of various software projects, please do enlighten me!)

Not sure which software projects you think were treated unfairly (nor
when/where), so I can't say anything useful here.


        Stefan