Re: GUI design

[Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso]

On 29 March 2012 18:53, Judd Storrs <address@hidden> wrote:
> I think at this point we can all agree that Jordi doesn't like that
> GUI Octave is closed source

I don't mind that so much. I mind that it's non-free and we can't fix
it.

> and feels its developer is an ungrateful antisocial slime ball.

I don't think he's ungrateful. I don't think he's a slimeball. I think
he's a little strange for thinking that accepting changes to his
source code will tarnish his artistic integrity. I think he's confused
by the non-free Windows culture of not sharing code, that sharing code
is somehow harmful. I don't think he's a bad guy. He's after all
providing GUI Octave seemingly pretty selflessly. I think his only
satisfaction is the gratification of preserving his artistic integriy
on his source code. I think we can invite him to instead have the
gratification of forming part of a larger community of Octave users
and developers, to work with us, instead of against us.

> Unfortunately, being an ungrateful antisocial slime ball is not GPL
> (or even GPLv3) incompatible.

Some antisocial behaviour is GPL incompatible, such as creating
non-free derivative works. I don't know what you are referring to with
"slime ball", so I don't know if that's GPL incompatible or not.

> I shudder to think what Jordi's email conversation with the
> developer of GUI Octave looked like and how it reflected on Octave.

I think I was quite civil to him and did not call him antisocial nor a
slime ball. I can't reproduce my conversation with him because it was
private and I don't have his permission to do so. You can ask him
yourself, if you want, how my conversation with him went.

In fact, I'm CC'ing here. You can ask him yourself if I was as hostile
to him as you think I am.

Hello, Joaquim. Would you reconsider releasing the source code to GUI
Octave? It is very awkward that you are making non-free code based on
copylefted free code. I have tried on several occasions to appease
your requests, to explain why Octave 3.4.3 isn't connecting to GUI
Octave, and to reassure you that we are not purposely trying to
sabotage GUI Octave, and to help fix the problems you were having with
running a debugger from GUI Octave.

Do you think we have not done enough to work towards you? Is there
something else you would like from us in order to release your source
under a free license?

- Jordi G. H.