Re: Next Steps For the Software Heritage Problem

[MSavoritias <email@msavoritias.me>]

On Tue, 18 Jun 2024 13:31:02 -0400
Greg Hogan <code@greghogan.com> wrote:

> On Tue, Jun 18, 2024 at 12:33 PM MSavoritias <email@msavoritias.me>
> wrote:
> >
> > Ah it seems I wasn't clear enough.
> > I meant write something like:
> >
> > By packaging a software project for Guix you are exposing said
> > software to a code harvesting project (also known as LLMs or "AI")
> > run by Software Heritage and/or their partners. Make sure you have
> > gotten fully informed consent and that the author of this package
> > fully understands what the implications are.
> >
> > Something like that. To make it clear that the package that is
> > about to be added to Guix is going to be harvested for the LLM
> > models Software Heritage decided to share the code with.
> >
> > Hope this is more clear.  
> 
> Free software licenses do not require bespoke consent to "to run the
> program, to study and change the program in source code form, to
> redistribute exact copies, and to distribute modified versions" (and
> "Being free to do these things means (among other things) that you do
> not have to ask or pay for permission to do so.").
> 
> Your fear mongering against free software runs afoul of Guix project
> guidelines ("In addition, the GNU distribution follow [sic] the free
> software distribution guidelines. Among other things, these guidelines
> reject non-free firmware, recommendations of non-free software, and
> discuss ways to deal with trademarks and patents.").
> 
> If you feel that LLMs/AI are violating the terms of a license, then
> feel free to pursue that through the legal system (potentially very
> profitable given the monetary penalties for violations of copyright).
> Otherwise, we should be celebrating the users and use of free
> software. I'm old enough to remember "Only wimps use tape backup:
> _real_ men just upload their important stuff on ftp, and let the rest
> of the world mirror it ;)"
> [https://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9607.2/0292.html].

Hey Greg,

You seem to be arguing on a different thread or a point I never made. I
didn't talk about licenses or legal/state rules before you mentioned
them. What I have mentioned is that SH breaks our social rules and
expectations by feeding all code into an algorithm that will endlessly
output the same as original.

I am not interested what the states or licenses/copyrights allow or
don't allow in this case. What I care about is what we expect as a
community when we submit a package/code to guix and if that violates
our social rules and expectations. And from what I have seen and talked
with people it does indeed.

PS. I am also not a man :P

Regards,
MSavoritias