GPL - long

[Nicolai Hanssing <nuh@kampsax.dtu.dk>]

> > Regarding the GPL, as was previously said, there is information in the
> > new GPL FAQ linked off the front page at www.gnu.org.  In particular
> > you will want to look at the questions,
> >
> >   "If a library is released under the GPL (not the LGPL), does that mean
> that
> >    any program which uses it has to be under the GPL?"
> >
> > and
> >
> >   "What if my school might want to make my program into its own
> proprietary
> >    software pro 

OK, I've read up on the faq, and on the why-not-lgpl...

I've normally haven't cared about the licenses, but as I'm probally not
far off from a real job, the diferences between GPL ang LGPL begins to
make a difference.

Now heres my two cents about the issue [sorry if they hae been posted
before]:

I'm a great supporter of free software, primarily I think *"the more the
better"*.

I also do not mind commercial software - money makes the world go round
y'know, and I also have a problem with the "Them vs. us"-style used in the
why-not-lgpl-document. Free software is an alternative to commercial, and
the other way around. I say, let the market decide.

Now when licensing something under GPL, that forces any company to *not*
use the software, but more importantly [from my view], it also forces them
to *not* contribute to the development.

Instead when using LGPL, a compyny may use the software, and may only
distribute modified versions under LGPL, i.e. they have to commit the
source, and that would also be an advantage for a company in many cases.

Therefor GPL inhibits my primary goal of more,better, free software, and
LGPL promotes it...

GPL only makes sense if:
You are *against* commercial software - I'm not.
You are against your software being used to make money - it's free - who
cares?

In the case of my thesis, I sadly cannot recommend GSL to the firm, but
must recommend that they go with some other pakage [Matlab or
something]. Nor will I recommend GNU/Linux to any of there applications -
theres just not enough clarity, and too much is licensed GPL...

Neither can I expect
that I in the future will be able to use GPL-projects at work, nor commit
to them.

I do hope that GSL someday will become LGPL, so that it won't just remain
a .edu/.org thing - and not just leave the market to Mathworks and the
likes. Thereby also broadening the potential developer-base.

Anyhow I still think it's a cool project :-), and while working on my
thesis I can still contributed - luckily.

Regards
	Nicolai Hanssing
	Denmark