From 1ae0306a3cf2ea27f60b2d205789994d260c2cce Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Christian Grothoff Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2020 13:29:45 +0200 Subject: add i18n FSFS --- .../blog/articles/en/gpl-american-dream.html | 118 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 118 insertions(+) create mode 100644 talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/gpl-american-dream.html (limited to 'talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/gpl-american-dream.html') diff --git a/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/gpl-american-dream.html b/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/gpl-american-dream.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e7e2bcd --- /dev/null +++ b/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/gpl-american-dream.html @@ -0,0 +1,118 @@ + + +The GNU GPL and the American Dream +- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation + + +

The GNU GPL and the American Dream

+ +

by Bradley M. Kuhn

+ +

+When I was in grade school, right here in the United States of +America, I was taught that our country was the “land of +opportunity”. My teachers told me that my country was special, +because anyone with a good idea and a drive to do good work could make +a living, and be successful too. They called it the “American +Dream”.

+

+What was the cornerstone to the “American Dream”? It was +equality—everyone had the same chance in our society to choose +their own way. I could have any career I wanted, and if I worked +hard, I would be successful.

+

+It turned out that I had some talent for working with +computers—in particular, computer software. Indoctrinated with +the “American Dream”, I learned as much as I could about +computer software. I wanted my chance at success.

+

+I quickly discovered though, that in many cases, not all the players in the +field of computer software were equal. By the time I entered the field, +large companies like Microsoft tended to control much of the technology. +And, that technology was available to me under licensing agreements that +forbid me to study and learn from it. I was completely prohibited from +viewing the program source code of the software.

+

+I found out, too, that those with lots of money could negotiate different +licenses. If they paid enough, they could get permission to study and learn +from the source code. Typically, such licenses cost many thousands of +dollars, and being young and relatively poor, I was out of luck.

+

+After spending my early years in the software business a bit downtrodden by +my inability to learn more, I eventually discovered another body of software +that did allow me to study and learn. This software was released under a +license called the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL). Instead of +restricting my freedom to study and learn from it, this license was +specifically designed to allow me to learn. The license ensured that no +matter what happened to the public versions of the software, I'd always be +able to study its source code.

+

+I quickly built my career around this software. I got lots of work +configuring, installing, administering, and teaching about that software. +Thanks to the GNU GPL, I always knew that I could stay competitive in my +business, because I would always be able to learn easily about new +innovations as soon as they were made. This gave me a unique ability to +innovate myself. I could innovate quickly, and impress my employers. I was +even able to start my own consulting business. My own business! The +pinnacle of the American Dream!

+

+Thus, I was quite surprised last week when a vice president at Microsoft +hinted that the GNU GPL contradicted the American Way.

+

+The GNU GPL is specifically designed to make sure that all technological +innovators, programmers, and software users are given equal footing. Each +high school student, independent contractor, small business, and large +corporation are given an equal chance to innovate. We all start the race +from the same point. Those people with deep understanding of the software +and an ability to make it work well for others are most likely to succeed, +and they do succeed.

+

+That is exactly what the American Way is about, at least the way I learned +it in grade school. I hope that we won't let Microsoft and others change +the definition.

+ + + + + + -- cgit v1.2.3