On 07/18/2017 10:53 PM, Gene Heskett wrote:
On Tuesday 18 July 2017 20:18:07 Ben Finney wrote:
Teemu Likonen <tliko...@iki.fi> writes:
Doug [2017-07-18 13:25:34-05] wrote:
My point is that most of the folks who complain about code not
being free to modify are not capable of modifying it, so why do
they complain?
What has not being capable got to do with it? I am losing that capability
slowly but surely, too many circles around this star we call the Sun
being the main reason. I have outlived all the enemies I used to have,
and poor short term memory lets me forget about any recently acquired
ones.
Free software has the advantage that it does not depend on just one
company and its interests. A free software community can maintain
code longer and can port it to different platforms. The community
benefits even if only some people actually modify the software.
By analogy: I am not capable of maintaining the house I live in, let
alone of making significant improvements.
That blows me away, Ben. I have read enough of your keyboards output to
know there is not one darned thing keeping you from learning to do what
you deny being able to do.
Yet I benefit from the fact that anyone sufficiently motivated can
learn to do so and they don't need permission from the people who made
the house.
If anyone who wanted to improve the house I live in were prevented
from doing so without the express permission of the people who made
the house, you're damned right I would complain.
So would I, by whatever means gets the attention.
I may have no intention of ever doing so myself, but I want a
wide-open market of people who can do so if I ask, who have learned
because no law stops them from doing so.
Free software includes that same freedom for software: Everyone is
free to learn about it, and try to improve it, and share their work
with others who want it.
Because everyone has that freedom, we don't all have to exercise it.
But we must defend it for everyone, and look with suspicion on anyone
– even those who sell video cards – who tries to deny us that freedom.
Extremely well stated Ben, thank you.
Cheers, Gene Heskett
I thought I put this to bed, but apparently not. The complaint was
about NVidia software. Well, there has been for some time a
"FREE" program. How come it's not satisfactory for so many
users of Nvidia cards? All the wonderful Linux programmers
have had YEARS to modify it and make it better than what
Nvidia provides, but it seems that they haven't succeeded.
I am very happy with my Nvidia cards and Nvidia drivers.
What the devil is everybody bitching about?
And, of course, doesn't it make sense that the company that
invented and produces and sells a product ought to know more
about how to operate it than a bunch of "de-engineers?"
I've stated my case. Let's drop it here!
--doug
