hypothetical(?) GPL problem

[Karin Kosina]

Hi,

> > I disagree.
> > It is one of the goals of the Free Software Foundation to show that
> > companies can build a working business model based upon Free Software.
> > The success of companies who make money out of GPL'ed software is a
> > proof to other companies that it can be done.

> Hmm, and I disagree with you. That OS's task I thought.

> To sum them up, imagine free software sucked in every possible way, and the
> only thing good about it was that it was free.  In this case, FSF would still
> exist in the same (tho smaller probably heh), and OS wouldn't.

Of course. I am not saying that making money with Free Software is the
most important thing about it, or that commercial success should be our
main goal, but it seems pretty clear to me that there will be a lot more
FS if companies see that they can be (commercially) successful with it.
The more free software, the better. 

Naturally, we have to be very careful to make it clear that Free
Software is Free Software is Free Software, and that monetary goals can
never be put above the principles behind it.

But in general, it won't work to say, ok, we don't care about business
at all. I think there are so many misunderstandings around FS which keep
companies from releasing their software under the GPL, and if nobody
tells them, they will choose a proprietary model. This is definitely not
what we want.

Or is it?

Regards,
    Karin "kyrah" Kosina

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 232 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.fsfe.org/pipermail/discussion/attachments/20010629/172f2d3c/attachment.sig>