From: Ilya Shlyakhter <ilya_shl@alum.mit.edu>
To: Ian Dunn <dunni@gnu.org>
Cc: emacs-orgmode <emacs-orgmode@gnu.org>, Peter Davis <pfd@pfdstudio.com>
Subject: Re: BeOrg
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2018 21:43:22 -0500 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <CACfYvRZ5rv124i_bBWJsqMA3riaggVD7u032huHeAYXSSgi0pA@mail.gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <87mv1vitmf.fsf@gnu.org>
"as a GNU package, we're not allowed to mention proprietary software"
-- how is that consistent with GNU prominently distributing Emacs for
Windows from its own website? I think this shows that the guideline
is not absolute. And it's specifically phrased as a guideline
("should"), not as a requirement.
To _mention_ is not the same as to _endorse_. One can mention a
non-free program, along with a link to GNU's reasoning against such
programs, and let users decide. Deciding for them is paternalistic.
It also looks like simple protectionism: rather than writing a free
program superior to the non-free one, mentioning both and letting
users decide, we'll just hide the non-free one.
I don't see why not to write beOrg at all is perfectly ethical, but to
write it without making it free is unethical. What freedoms does a
non-existing program give users?
On Tue, Jan 2, 2018 at 9:06 PM, Ian Dunn <dunni@gnu.org> wrote:
>>>>>> "Peter" == Peter Davis <pfd@pfdstudio.com> writes:
>
> Peter> If we refuse to provide useful information just because it
> Peter> violates some purist idea of what is or is not acceptably
> Peter> unencumbered, then we’re just denying users potential helpful
> Peter> capabilities that may make the difference between using
> Peter> org-mode or abandoning it completely in favor of some
> Peter> commercial, cross-platform solution.
>
> Nicolas mentioned that as a GNU package, we're not allowed to mention
> proprietary software[1]. My understanding is that the reasoning behind
> this is that we don't want to appear to endorse proprietary software.
> The GNU project finds proprietary software unethical, so they will not
> see it as providing useful information, but endorsing an unethical
> solution.
>
> Peter, I understand your reasoning; the LGPL was designed specifically
> for this purpose, i.e. allowing a non-free solution built upon a free
> one. However, I don't believe we should encourage use of such solutions
> without evidence that people are turned away from Org mode because of a
> mobile solution they don't like.
>
> [1] https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/html_node/References.html#References
>
> --
> Ian Dunn
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2018-01-03 2:43 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 15+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2018-01-02 17:32 BeOrg Ilya Shlyakhter
2018-01-02 17:39 ` BeOrg Eric S Fraga
2018-01-02 17:52 ` BeOrg ilya shlyakhter
2018-01-02 19:20 ` BeOrg Nicolas Goaziou
2018-01-02 19:48 ` BeOrg Ilya Shlyakhter
2018-01-02 20:43 ` BeOrg Nicolas Goaziou
2018-01-02 22:17 ` BeOrg Peter Davis
2018-01-03 0:30 ` BeOrg Thomas S. Dye
2018-01-03 2:06 ` BeOrg Ian Dunn
2018-01-03 2:43 ` Ilya Shlyakhter [this message]
2018-01-03 5:00 ` BeOrg Scott Randby
2018-01-03 20:00 ` BeOrg Adonay Felipe Nogueira
2018-01-03 8:26 ` BeOrg Tim Cross
2018-01-03 19:58 ` BeOrg Adonay Felipe Nogueira
-- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
2018-01-05 2:08 BeOrg edgar
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