"as a GNU package, we're not allowed to mention proprietary software"
-- how is that consistent with GNU prominently distributing Emacs for
Windows from its own website? I think this shows that the guideline
is not absolute. And it's specifically phrased as a guideline
("should"), not as a requirement.
To _mention_ is not the same as to _endorse_. One can mention a
non-free program, along with a link to GNU's reasoning against such
programs, and let users decide. Deciding for them is paternalistic.
It also looks like simple protectionism: rather than writing a free
program superior to the non-free one, mentioning both and letting
users decide, we'll just hide the non-free one.
I don't see why not to write beOrg at all is perfectly ethical, but to
write it without making it free is unethical. What freedoms does a
non-existing program give users?
On Tue, Jan 2, 2018 at 9:06 PM, Ian Dunn <du...@gnu.org> wrote:
>>>>>> "Peter" == Peter Davis <p...@pfdstudio.com> writes:
>
> Peter> If we refuse to provide useful information just because it
> Peter> violates some purist idea of what is or is not acceptably
> Peter> unencumbered, then we’re just denying users potential helpful
> Peter> capabilities that may make the difference between using
> Peter> org-mode or abandoning it completely in favor of some
> Peter> commercial, cross-platform solution.
>
> Nicolas mentioned that as a GNU package, we're not allowed to mention
> proprietary software[1]. My understanding is that the reasoning behind
> this is that we don't want to appear to endorse proprietary software.
> The GNU project finds proprietary software unethical, so they will not
> see it as providing useful information, but endorsing an unethical
> solution.
>
> Peter, I understand your reasoning; the LGPL was designed specifically
> for this purpose, i.e. allowing a non-free solution built upon a free
> one. However, I don't believe we should encourage use of such solutions
> without evidence that people are turned away from Org mode because of a
> mobile solution they don't like.
>
> [1] https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/html_node/References.html#References
>
> --
> Ian Dunn
