2008/9/1 Daniel Dickinson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > AGPLv3 may or may not be free, but as the discussion goes on I am > finding the arguments against it less credible as they seem to be > invoking 'problems' that are not really problems.
Some of the problems might be important anyway. I'll sum up my personal concerns. Say I want to create a 3D virtual world based on the IRC network, using PySoy as the base framework for that, PySoy being AGPLv3 will force me to: 1) Either not being able to modify the source code or 2) Spam everyone I interact with, saying the client I'm using and how to get the full source code. 3) Be able to notify servers in the network on how to be able to get that source code too. 4) Be able to provide the source code through one of this means: 4a) Through my own connection. There can be technical problems for this, for example in a low-width connection. It can also be a security issue, as a source-demand-DoS can be triggered. It might also be annoying for people if they are using that bandwidth for someting else. 4b) Through a server of my own, with the economical cost associated. 4c) Through a public server, having to identify myself (thus, I wouldn't be able to remain anonymous) 5) Have legal problems in countries in which my program might not be legal, by providing having to provide it to people there, as I might be interacting with people in that country. Example: My 3D irc has support for encrypted connections, I might be chatting with people from other countries in which encryption might be forbidden. License is forcing me to commit a crime in that country. I know that some other's point of view about this don't see my concerns, as they have already expressed they thoughts. I understand that a DFSG-free program must provide a de-facto compliance with DFSG, and not just a theoretical one. Thus, if for technical reasons some of them are not fulfilled, and that situation is not really exceptional or terribly rare, I'm not sure I would consider it DFSG-free. That includes not being able to use the code in certain applications, like embedded systems or throught low-band connections, as well as excluding groups of people for economical reasons. Of course this shouldn't be affected by the fact that the code is modified by the user or not. That's how I'm currently seeing it after all this discussion. The license might be OK for other kind of programs, like WebApps, for example. Can a license be free when it has consequences that might make it non-free for some programs while some others don't? Greetings, Miry -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
