Hi, >>"Branden" == Branden Robinson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Branden> On Mon, May 03, 1999 at 04:14:09PM -0700, Joseph Carter wrote: >> > b) at some stage there was documentation for motif, but no lesstif. >> > Would motif linked programs have been suitable for main because it >> > was a documented protocol which one could replace? >> >> No, linking isn't the same as connecting to a server IMO. Branden> Pure evasion. Evasion? Evasion? Thems fighting words, almost ;-) Branden> You are using the existence of documentation for a protocol Branden> that has no de facto free implementation as justification Branden> for a program's inclusion in main, IF policy were such that Branden> it would be excluded because of the non-existence of that de Branden> facto free implementation. Nope. I think that the correct distinction is that in one case, some one has come up with a fully free, standalone program that does not require any non-free element to exists on you machine, yet empowers you to function in a ghastly proprietary world out there. Far from promoting a non-free library, it enables you to participate in a a distributed transaction; and yes, the remote end may be using proprietary software, and yes, there is yet no free equivalent. That shall come. You think that free software emerged full blown from the minds of the creators in the beginning? You think we did not have to bootstrap on propreitary systems? We have a free client side. Rejoice in it. If enough people use and like the software, we may have a free replacement of the server side one day. manoj stepping down from the soap box -- But Officer, I stopped for the last one, and it was green! Manoj Srivastava <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/> Key C7261095 fingerprint = CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05 CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E