Eric S. Raymond on GPL and BSD licenses. & Microsoft coming to Linux

[Brad Roberts]

Alix Pexton wrote:
> Mike Parker wrote:
>> Alix Pexton wrote:
>>> Walter Bright wrote:
>>>> Nick Sabalausky wrote:
>>>>> "Walter Bright" <newshound1 at digitalmars.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:gqj7kh$ll$1 at digitalmars.com...
>>>>>> Nick Sabalausky wrote:
>>>>>>> (The whole idea of "free as in freedom software" not also
>>>>>>> implying "free as in beer" (Side note: since when is beer free?)
>>>>>>> is complete bullocks.) (And yes, I just used the word "bullocks".
>>>>>>> I'm in a weird mood...)
>>>>>> I always thought the "free as in beer" came from this:
>>>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Froggy_Evening
>>>>>
>>>>> *shrug* For all I know it could have come from that. But one thing
>>>>> I do know: Chuck Jones is an animation god :)
>>>>
>>>> I attended a lecture by him once. He's also engaging and a very nice
>>>> man. The crowd loved him, and he deserved it.
>>>
>>> My interpretation of the phrase "Free, as in beer" is that the beer
>>> is free, whenever it is not your round. When it is your turn to go to
>>> the bar, it's everyone but you that gets free beer. In this context,
>>> "Free Software" is that which is produced by a community where each
>>> member makes a contribution in turn, either trough creating or
>>> testing, and as a result everyone shares the benefit.
>>>
>>> A...
>>
>> I think everyone is reading too much into it. The point is simply to
>> distinguish between gratis and libre. There's no suitable adjective to
>> distinguish them in English (other than the two words themselves,
>> which aren't widely used), as "free" is used to mean both. Beer is a
>> product that is often given /gratis/, and the phrase "free beer" is
>> used often enough ("Sure I'll come to your
>> party/dinner/barbecue/your-favorite-social-event. I'm not one to turn
>> down free beer!") that it gets the message across quite effectively.
>> You could substitute any product for beer to the same end, but the
>> meaning wouldn't be as immediately obvious methinks.
>>
>> At least, that's always been my understanding. Of course, you'd have
>> to ask Richard Stallman since, IIRC, it was he who first started using
>> the idea of free speech vs. free beer to promote Free Software.
> 
> Who pays for the beer when it is you who hosts the party?
> 
> A...

I would have thought that was obvious in a discussion on open source
metaphors.. you steal it.

Sorry,
Brad