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diff --git a/examples/blog/articles/scrap1_36.html b/examples/blog/articles/scrap1_36.html deleted file mode 100644 index 985bc168..00000000 --- a/examples/blog/articles/scrap1_36.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,201 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/loose.dtd"> -<html><!-- This is the second edition of Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman. - -Free Software Foundation - -51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor - -Boston, MA 02110-1335 -Copyright C 2002, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc. -Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire book are permitted -worldwide, without royalty, in any medium, provided this notice is -preserved. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations -of this book from the original English into another language provided -the translation has been approved by the Free Software Foundation and -the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all -copies. - -ISBN 978-0-9831592-0-9 -Cover design by Rob Myers. - -Cover photograph by Peter Hinely. - --><!-- Created on February 18, 2016 by texi2html 1.82 -texi2html was written by: - Lionel Cons <Lionel.Cons@cern.ch> (original author) - Karl Berry <karl@freefriends.org> - Olaf Bachmann <obachman@mathematik.uni-kl.de> - and many others. -Maintained by: Many creative people. -Send bugs and suggestions to <texi2html-bug@nongnu.org> ---><head><title>Free Software, Free Society, 2nd ed.: 36. The X Window System Trap</title><meta name="description" content="This is the second edition of Richard Stallman's collection of essays."><meta name="keywords" content="Free Software, Free Society, 2nd ed.: 36. The X Window System Trap"><meta name="resource-type" content="document"><meta name="distribution" content="global"><meta name="Generator" content="texi2html 1.82"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><style type="text/css"> -<!-- -a.summary-letter {text-decoration: none} -blockquote.smallquotation {font-size: smaller} -pre.display {font-family: serif} -pre.format {font-family: serif} -pre.menu-comment {font-family: serif} -pre.menu-preformatted {font-family: serif} -pre.smalldisplay {font-family: serif; font-size: smaller} -pre.smallexample {font-size: smaller} -pre.smallformat {font-family: serif; font-size: smaller} -pre.smalllisp {font-size: smaller} -span.roman {font-family:serif; font-weight:normal;} -span.sansserif {font-family:sans-serif; font-weight:normal;} -ul.toc {list-style: none} ---> -</style><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../web-common/style.css"></head><body lang="en" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" vlink="#800080" alink="#FF0000" class="article"> - -<a name="X"></a> -<header><div id="logo"><a href="/"><img src="../gnu.svg" height="100" width="100"></a></div><h1 class="book-title">Free Software, Free Society, 2nd ed.</h1></header><section id="main"><a name="The-X-Window-System-Trap"></a> -<h1 class="chapter"> 36. The X Window System Trap </h1> - -<a name="index-traps_002c-X-Window-System"></a> -<a name="index-X-Window-System-5"></a> -<a name="index-developers_002c-to-copyleft-or-not-to-copyleft_003f"></a> -<p>To copyleft or not to copyleft? That is one of the major -controversies in the free software community. The idea of copyleft is -that we should fight fire with fire—that we should use copyright -to make sure our code stays free. The GNU General Public License (GNU -GPL) is one example of a copyleft license. -</p> -<p>Some free software developers prefer noncopyleft distribution. -Noncopyleft licenses such as the -<a name="index-XFree86-license"></a> -XFree86 and -<a name="index-BSD-licenses-_0028see-also-both-_0060_0060BSD_002dstyle_0027_0027-and-GPL_0029-2"></a> -BSD licenses are based on the idea -of never saying no to anyone—not even to someone who seeks to -use your work as the basis for restricting other people. Noncopyleft -licensing does nothing wrong, but it misses the opportunity to -actively protect our freedom to change and redistribute software. For -that, we need copyleft. -</p> -<a name="index-copylefted-software-_0028see-also-software_0029-3"></a> -<a name="index-copyleft_002c-X-Consortium-opposition-to"></a> -<a name="index-X-Consortium-_0028see-also-Open-Group_002c-its-successor_0029-3"></a> -<p>For many years, the X Consortium was the chief opponent of copyleft. -It exerted both moral suasion and pressure to discourage free software -developers from copylefting their programs. It used moral suasion by -suggesting that it is not nice to say no. It used pressure through -its rule that copylefted software could not be in the X Distribution. -</p> -<p>Why did the X Consortium adopt this policy? It had to do with their -conception of success. The X Consortium defined success as -popularity—specifically, getting computer companies to use the X -Window System. This definition put the computer companies in the -driver’s seat: whatever they wanted, the X Consortium had to help -them get it. -</p> -<p>Computer companies normally distribute proprietary software. They -wanted free software developers to donate their work for such use. If -they had asked for this directly, people would have laughed. But the -X Consortium, fronting for them, could present this request as an -unselfish one. “Join us in donating our work to proprietary software -developers,” they said, suggesting that this is a noble form of -self-sacrifice. “Join us in achieving popularity,” they said, -suggesting that it was not even a sacrifice. -</p> -<p>But self-sacrifice is not the issue: tossing away the defense that -copyleft provides, which protects the freedom of the whole community, -is sacrificing more than yourself. Those who granted the X -Consortium’s request entrusted the community’s future to the goodwill -of the X Consortium. -</p> -<a name="index-X11R6_002e4-1"></a> -<p>This trust was misplaced. In its last year, the X Consortium made a -plan to restrict the forthcoming X11R6.4 release so that it would not -be free software. They decided to start saying no, not only to -proprietary software developers, but to our community as well. -</p> -<p>There is an irony here. If you said yes when the X Consortium asked -you not to use copyleft, you put the X Consortium in a position to -license and restrict its version of your program, along with the -code for the core of X. -</p> -<p>The X Consortium did not carry out this plan. Instead it closed down -and transferred X development to the Open Group, whose staff are now -carrying out a similar plan. To give them credit, when I asked them -to release X11R6.4 under the GNU GPL in parallel with their planned -restrictive license, they were willing to consider the idea. (They -were firmly against staying with the old -<a name="index-X11-licenses-3"></a> -X11 distribution terms.) -Before they said yes or no to this proposal, it had already failed for -another reason: the -<a name="index-XFree86-1"></a> -XFree86 group followed the X Consortium’s old -policy, and will not accept copylefted software. -<a name="index-copylefted-software-_0028see-also-software_0029-4"></a> -</p> -<p>In September 1998, several months after X11R6.4 was released with -nonfree distribution terms, the Open Group reversed its decision and -rereleased it under the same noncopyleft free software license that -was used for X11R6.3. Thus, the Open Group therefore eventually did -what was right, but that does not alter the general issue. -<a name="index-X11R6_002e4-2"></a> -</p> -<p>Even if the X Consortium and the Open Group had never planned to -restrict X, someone else could have done it. Noncopylefted software -is vulnerable from all directions; it lets anyone make a nonfree -version dominant, if he will invest sufficient resources to add -significantly important features using proprietary code. Users who -choose software based on technical characteristics, rather than on -freedom, could easily be lured to the nonfree version for short-term -convenience. -</p> -<p>The X Consortium and Open Group can no longer exert moral suasion by -saying that it is wrong to say no. This will make it easier to decide -to copyleft your X-related software. -<a name="index-X-Consortium-_0028see-also-Open-Group_002c-its-successor_0029-4"></a> -<a name="index-copyleft_002c-X-Consortium-opposition-to-1"></a> -</p> -<p>When you work on the core of X, on programs such as the X server, -Xlib, and Xt, there is a practical reason not to use copyleft. The -<a name="index-X_002eorg"></a> -X.org group does an important job for the community in maintaining -these programs, and the benefit of copylefting our changes would be -less than the harm done by a fork in development. So it is better to -work with them, and not copyleft our changes on these programs. -Likewise for utilities such as -<a name="index-xset"></a> -<code>xset</code> and -<a name="index-xrdb"></a> -<code>xrdb</code>, which are close to the -core of X and do not need major improvements. At least we know that -the X.org group has a firm commitment to developing these programs as -free software. -</p> -<p>The issue is different for programs outside the core of X: -applications, window managers, and additional libraries and widgets. -There is no reason not to copyleft them, and we should copyleft them. -</p> -<p>In case anyone feels the pressure exerted by the criteria for -inclusion in the X distributions, the -<a name="index-GNU_002c-GNU-Project-9"></a> -GNU Project will undertake to -publicize copylefted packages that work with X. If you would like to -copyleft something, and you worry that its omission from the X -distribution will impede its popularity, please ask us to help. -</p> -<a name="index-call-to-action_002c-resist-illusory-temptations-of-proprietary-software"></a> -<p>At the same time, it is better if we do not feel too much need for -popularity. When a businessman tempts you with “more -popularity,” he may try to convince you that his use of your -program is crucial to its success. Don’t believe it! If your program -is good, it will find many users anyway; you don’t need to feel -desperate for any particular users, and you will be stronger if you do -not. You can get an indescribable sense of joy and freedom by -responding, “Take it or leave it—that’s no skin off my -back.” Often the businessman will turn around and accept the -program with copyleft, once you call the bluff. -</p> -<a name="index-call-to-action_002c-copyleft-your-software"></a> -<p>Friends, free software developers, don’t repeat old mistakes! If we -do not copyleft our software, we put its future at the mercy of anyone -equipped with more resources than scruples. With copyleft, we can -defend freedom, not just for ourselves, but for our whole -community. -<a name="index-developers_002c-to-copyleft-or-not-to-copyleft_003f-1"></a> -<a name="index-X-Window-System-6"></a> -<a name="index-traps_002c-X-Window-System-1"></a> -</p><hr size="2"></section></body></html> |