"The big deal about Trolltech today is there are so many programmers who know how to program because they use open source software," Perens said. "I think their longevity comes from their open sourceness."

Amen to that. Man getting SMARTer and not before Time and what we are seeing is open source as the absolute leader in every number of fields.

when I thought the title said badgerware.

I thought it could maybe be some sort of allusion to staying underground, and hiding from sight, while spreading virally and slowly killing off big "cash cow" projects.

Because that would be an excellent excuse for a picture of a badger.

amanfromMars celebrated his 1000th posting in style: it was short, clear and readily understandable - even to me, and that's a first!

Hoorah!

I mean as above you have the BSD guys who've been hacking away for years. but the whole open source movement only sprang to life out of the Free Software movement.

As much as OSS would hate to admit, the FSF has never had a problem with knowing where the line is and what they're trying to do. Better integrity sees the GPL well trusted and the OSI a trademark without a reason.

First, the GPLv2 worked. It still works. There is no need to fix things that already work just fine! Pushing for people to use v3 over v2 is just like MS trying to force people to upgrade when the old does the job!

Second, last I read, there were several valid reasons why Linux is not GPLv3. Putting limits on what people can do with your "Free" software makes it NOT FREE!

Third, as everyone above has mentioned.. Perens is a totally irrelevant character! He didn't start the idea of Free Software, he just started some irrelevant bureaucracy. He's not even a meaningful contributor to Free Software.. What did he code? Busybox? Hardly crucial or irreplaceable! He's just a journalist and bureaucrat barking nonsense!

GPL2 does NOT work.

If Novell produce GPL'd code that contains MS patents in it, the GPL2 is broken unless you can convince the judge that MS's allowance of the code by Novell under GPL2 copyrights mean that they are released under copyright.

And since the GPL started because a printer manufacturer refuse to fix a problem or give enough information to write a new driver so RMS made a license that would allow Free Software drivers to be produced, isn't the fact that Tivo can give you a GPL'd product that they can change but you can't *in exactly the same way as the printer problem that started it* how can that be seen as "working properly".

It works properly for Linus. It doesn't work for others. It's not like RMS/EFF are refusing to allow any code to use the old license, is it, so why is GPL3 a problem?

Because it allows people to lock up code by finessing the law.

And you lap it up.

...was general public domain which was evolving in that direction anyway as more source code was published and one-off licences were written that basically said "here's the program, here's the code, do what you like, but remember to credit me and publish your version."

If you believe the hype then Perens invented open source and Stallman wrote the first free-of-charge C compiler. Those who were using public domain code and utilities the decades before they appeared on the scene know that these practices and utilities already existed.

If the OSI and FSF didn't exist, something very similar to their work would have been formed in their place. They're not visionaries - they're certainly not leaders - they just try to claim the credit for the collective work done by coders like you and me.

The history of public domain software in the 60s/70s/80s/90s is an interesting one, and well worth looking into if you don't fancy the fawning that follows the cults of Stallman and Perens et al.

N.

Busybox is central to the embedded Linux market. However, Perens abandoned the projected several years ago, and Rob Landley et al (no Perens involvement, apart from claiming the credit) rewrote it to make it the tool of choice for embedded devices.

"The OSI - the body that ratifies all open source and Linux licenses" is an interesting statement. What does "ratify Linux licences" mean, and why is the OSI the body that ratifies any licences? The only credible body I know of which comments on these kinds of licences is the Free Software Foundation,

Here's the open source peddled by the Neanderthal ...... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/how-the-spooks-took-over-the-news-780672.html

MeThinks, El Reg, the Board could leave that light years in ITs Wake and who would dare to cast Aspersions upon ITs Base. Rock IT is and Binary too but it aint Tora Bora Cave dwellers run from Langley, that's for sure.

Mr Allen*, be a SMARTer Alex and take that Deadhead out into the Sun, IT could do with the AIResearch and Development and if you aint part of the MODern Solution, you is part of the Problem.

And who wants to be Part of a Fraud, whenever the Fraud is XXXXPosed ..... Been there, done that, won't get fooled again......with Tony's Legacy. What a charlie of a charlatan. One does hope that the Cabinet and Labour Minions are not Part and Parcel of the Conspiracy or should that rather say that one hopes that they are. Their Sub-Prime Performance suggests that it is so ..... for they don't lead with anything original which everyone can agree with.

Ps Mr Allen is supposed to be Intelligent and one supposes that is what he is paid good public money to be....... a poodle you can pick up for free at the lost and found.

urs QuITe Disgustedly,

Monsieur Sarkasm

And the Moral of this Tale is ....... We have the Technology to Rebuild .....and Pukka IT Wallahs can Rebuild it with IT from the Ground Up with Zeroday Virtual Trades..

Bank on Running with that rather than inviting a Run on Banking. The great unwashed would not appreciate you shafting them again ......for no good reason other than you can and do.

Mark, Thank you for your opinion, it is perfectly as valid as any of the other 6,650,258,927 ...... 07:41 GMT (EST+5) Feb 13, 2008 ..... http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/worldpopinfo.html

It is not cricket, even whenever richly deserved, to call the Status Quo that are Governments and its Monetary Control Masters, Incompetent to the Point of Self Destructive Madness, and to have an Acquiescent and Complementary Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee and Shady Intelligence Source Forces fostering and fuelling not unreasonable thoughts of an inGlorious Feather Nesting with the Abuse of Power, rather than Challenging Knights, Boldly Going into the Future with AI Beta Use for Power and its Monetary Control Masters, is neither Intelligent, nor in this Day and Age of Instant Electronic Messaging, Acceptable. I Trust in Global Operating Devices that you find that not unreasonable or outlandish/alien?

Get Used to IT Changing Everything. After All, all that there Really is, is the Future and that is Never Ever expected to be the Same as the Past, and as the Present is only always a Fleeting Moment in Time immediately rendered to the Past, it too, is [Virtually] Unreal and fully expected to be Different/a Better Beta.

Therefore, Thoughts in the Present of the Future/Thoughts for the Future in a Present, are the True Nature of Reality and that makes Life Virtually Real and Controllable /Steerable with Future Thoughts Shared/Globally Peer Reviewed. These would, by their very Nature, be expected to be Different and/or Original.

Does that make sense to you? And if not, where not? Identify that Bottleneck and IT Resources will Zero in 42 UNblock the Information Flow...... Ease ITs Passage.

Now here's a Novel Coincidence? Microsoft talking of Everything Changing too ..... http://download.microsoft.com/documents/uk/business/peopleready/NewWorldofWork.pdf

Late to the Party again, chaps? Wanna a Run down on what you've been missing?