Hi,
>>"Marcus" == Marcus Brinkmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Marcus> On Mon, May 03, 1999 at 03:15:24PM -0500, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
>> Theoretically, one does not provode the software to do
>> _anything_. You may look at it. You may feel inspired to write a free
>> server. You may take pleasure in the number of packages you have
>> installed.
Marcus> By your argumentation, there is no point in providing a
Marcus> _binary_ package. Source is enough, and even preferable, for
Marcus> any of the above things.
These are only the uses I came with off the top of my
head. Unlike microsoft, I think we should not determine a priori what
our users could and can do. Liiting choices available to users just
cause we have a limited imagination is a bad idea.
>> Do we have the right to deprive users of choices just because
>> we see no reason to do stuff? Sounds a trifle draconian.
Marcus> We can also annoy our users with too much choices. Some
Marcus> people are ssaying that Debian does contain too much
Marcus> packages. But this should not be used as an argument in
Marcus> either way.
Shall we throw out vi, then? ;-)
James> I'd say the necessity to connect to the server before one can
James> do what the majority of users would do with TiK is a
James> requirement.
>>
>> Their choice. But they may not. *We* have no right to pull a
>> free package just cause we think it may be used in conjunction with a
>> non-free package.
Marcus> This is not (the only thing) discussed here. The point under
Marcus> contention is what we should do if it can ONLY be used in
Marcus> conjunction with a non-free package.
So bloody what? So there is a prorietary software protocol out
there. Some one has taken the first step to make a free set of
software capable of using the protocol. Instead of applauding the
authors attempt to make a prorietary application set at least some
what free, we are going to pull it out of Debian cause he did not do
enough?
Do you not find this line of reasoning arrogant, and wrong? By
this logic, we would have thrown out the first few GNU tools, since
they needed a non-free OS to run on!! Gods.
I would like to invite anyone who is so strongly offended by
the lack of a free server to write one. In the meanwhile, please
leave people writing free software alone. Hounding them is not only
contra-productive, it harms the free community, and therefore should
be even more distateful than proprietary software.
manoj
--
Xerox never comes up with anything original.
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
