Hi,
>>"Luis" == Luis Villa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Luis> On 4 May 1999, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
>>
>> Unfortunately, we do not live in a world where all software is
>> free. Neither are all protocols. Sometimes, some communication
>> protocols gain popularity with the masses that have no free
>> implementations.
>>
Luis> "Sometimes, some *operating system* standards gain popularity with the
Luis> masses that have no free implementation."
Please elucidate.
Luis> I for one don't think that's a sufficient reason to use that OS- do you?
I have stuff on my machine that understands appletalk, and
NTFS, and vfat. I like it here.
>> Imagine when a group of people say "Hey, call us using
>> foo-grubble, and we can have a neat game". And we have to say, sorry,
>> no can do, I use linux, and I am unable to do that.
>>
Luis> "Imagine when a group of people say "Hey, *I'll send you the
Luis> doc in Word98 format.*" And we have to say, sorry, no can do, I
Luis> use linux, and I am unable to do that."
I, on the other hand, use word2x, and recently, wordperfect,
and I understand word files. I tell people my preference, and I don't
send out word files, but I run a capable system.
Luis> I imagine that, and have it happen to me every day. So what? I knew that
Luis> was a problem when I switched to Linux, and I deal.
I prefer solving problems, and I prefer not to keep presenting
the other cheek and dealing. Linux is not about suffering. Neither
should Debian be.
>> At that point, the impression is that we are running a less
>> capable system.
>>
Luis> Well, in some ways we *are* running a less capable
Luis> system.
Rubbish.
Luis> Practically speaking, if we don't force people to write
Luis> alternatives, we will never have a more capable system.
I shall have nothing to do with any such forcing. If you think
that the free software community is based on prior coercion, you do
not know us. As I said, these attitudes are fascist.
Luis> If stamping a product "non-free" will motivate people to write
Luis> a replacement, then this is a necessary step. Certainly, saying
Luis> it is completely free (which it obviously is not) will not do
Luis> much to motivate that development.
I think it si completely free. It is a free product that
enables me to talk to non-free software. Like NTFS enable me to reasd
a non free file system.
Luis> P.S. I fully support the maintainers who reject tik, and hope that
policy
Luis> will be clarified so that the various ICQ clients and word-format
Luis> converters can be moved out of main.
I think I shall object to that.
Luis> P.P.S. I'm surprised to see that no one here has suggested the
Luis> creation of another section (alongside contrib) that would hold
Luis> packages dependent on non-free protocols (as opposed to
Luis> non-free libs.) Were I a developer, I'd officially suggest it
Luis> myself.
I think this is free. I think it meets the DFSG. I shall
object to that.
manoj
--
Don't worry. Life's too long. Vincent Sardi, Jr.
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
