[wellylug] (no subject)

[Damon Lynch]

On Wed, 2004-04-14 at 16:29, Sam Cannell wrote:
> > >  Just because somebody's OS of choice *is* Windows, it doesn't mean 
> > > they're wrong, just that their tastes are different than yours.
> > 
> > Let us be clear, there is more to the issue than taste.  We are not 
> > comparing the colour red with the colour blue.
> 
> Honestly, I don't really think it is.  Why should somebody else be
> coerced into trying Linux just because you feel that it's better?

Sam -- this is mixing the two sides up.  The proprietary providers wish
to coerce GNU and all other users through legal trickery, not the other
way around.  No one from Wellylug is trying to 'coerce' users.

> > Do you condemn that also?
> 
> For doing everything in their power to fulfil their legal obligation to
> their shareholders?  Not at all.  I'll let you in on a little secret -
> Companies exist for one reason alone - to make their shareholders rich.

Some people believe this; you appear to be one of them.  However there
is no law of human nature that says "this must be so".  Many people do
not believe a legal entity is an excuse to act in a manner that is
detrimental to the health of society.
 
> 
> Patents have been around for a long long time before computers, and to
> an extent I agree with them.  If a company pours millions of dollars
> into R&D for a new software package, then I don't think that I should
> have the right to rip off their hard work and release a replica version.
> If patents were not available, such development would not be a
> financially viable investment and simply would not happen.

Evidence? I don't know if you belong to the NZOSS or not, but if were to
have joined the mailing list, you would be able to see the vigorous
discussions we had on this topic. 

Damon