[Asterisk-Users] Re: Advice on OS Choice

[Joe Greco]

> Jason T. Nelson [jtn at jtn.cx] wrote:
> > In our last exciting episode, Kevin Walsh (kevin at cursor.biz) said:
> > > If GNU/Linux was licensed under a BSD-style license then Red Hat could
> > > easily close the source - just as Apple did when they stole BSD code
> > > to create "their" OS/X effort.  I don't believe that Red Hat would do
> > > that sort of thing anyway - those tactics are best left to Apple and
> > > Microsoft.
> > >
> > Umm.. subtle but very important point here. Apple did not "steal" BSD
> > code. BSD code cannot be stolen. It is given away as basically a gift.
> > Stealing implies that the person you stole from has now lost something.
> >
> Perhaps "steal" was a bit harsh then.  Maybe I should have said Apple,
> Microsoft and others "close the source with no compensation nor
> recognition given to the original authors, as allowed by the stupid BSD
> license."  It's the authors' fault really.  They live and learn.  Perhaps
> they'll use the GPL next time.

That would be in violation of the BSD license.  Maybe one of these days
the GPL advocates will at least bother to read the license and get it
right.

By the way, assuming you've contributed code to Linux, did you get your
check from RedHat for RHEL?  Thought not.  As usual, the irrational
arguments like "they weren't compensated" are bandied about by GPL
advocates, blissfully ignoring the fact that they wouldn't be compensated
under the GPL, either.

Please stop spreading inaccuracies and other FUD.  If you can't at least
speak with some mild accuracy about the differences between the two 
licenses, you are not competent to discuss the issue and should really 
not participate in such discussions.

... JG
-- 
Joe Greco - sol.net Network Services - Milwaukee, WI - http://www.sol.net
"We call it the 'one bite at the apple' rule. Give me one chance [and] then I
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With 24 million small businesses in the US alone, that's way too many apples.