Re: New maintainer

[Jens K. Loewe]

David Kastrup schrob am 04. Okt. 2015 um 17:49 Uhr dies:

> "Justice" and "fairness" and "freedom" are things that stand
> fundamentally against letting things run their natural course,
> downwards.

So you say it's wrong to let the user work with the best tool for his
job if it's not free?

> It is the definition of a non-free system that you cannot use it at your
> own will in many respects.

This implies that every user has the will to know how his preferred tool
does the job he wants to use it for. This is wrong. Let's take the
famous example "write a letter": Why do you think your Grandma has to
know the internals of Microsoft Word when Microsoft Word is the tool
that makes her finish any letter faster than LibO or OOo?

> The point of the GNU project is to support free software.

That sounds different and better from "the point is to fight non-free
software", do you agree?

> If you are to manage a vegetarian fair and your idea of improvement
> focuses on the sorely missing hot dog stands and you think a show
> tannery a great addition, you are out of your depth.

I use GNU tools (well, at least Emacs) on non-free systems and I
strongly disagree with your interpretation. I don't say "GNU should make
more Windows software" and I even agree with the ethical disapproval of
Apple's products, *but* I say that a focus on so-called "free systems"
is implying a restriction. Not being actively interested in maintaining
compatibility with Windows means a lock-in for non-Windows systems.

Being able to use GNU tools on non-GNU systems often leads to the
thought that switching the OS would not be much effort.

> And if his main motivation for organizing the fair was getting the
> best steak hut far and wide, he is a mismatch for the fair, even if
> 90% of all visitors happen to eat meat at home.

The best free tool is a tool that does not require you to change your
operating system, do you agree?

> A church custodian does not need to be devout, but it won't be
> acceptable to celebrate orgies in the church either.

No one implied to do so. None of the aspirants for the GNU Emacs
maintainership suggested to start a Windows party on this mailing list,
did we?

There's a huge difference between maintaining a software and living an
idea. Can a software only be good when its maintainer has /the right
mind/?

> Nobody is looking for an "ethical manager" here.  The FSF has one
> already.  But even a technical manager needs to be aware of the
> principles of the GNU project and deal with the tasks responsibly that
> those imply for the technical management.

I know the difference between agreement and awareness. I'm pretty sure
that even I could follow the rules of the GPL and the GNU manifesto
without necessarily agreeing to all of them. Managing a task is
different from doing that task.

I can enforce a license which I don't comply with for my own stuff when
it is a part of my job (which it would be in this case). I guess that
applies to everyone here.

> That can mean that a technical manager not invested into GNU's
> philosophy will likely have to deal with a few things he considers
> technically awkward.

Which is OK as long as it does not have a major influence in what he
does IMO.

JKL


-- 
I could contain traces of nuts.