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Simple Machines forms as an NPO

Started by Kindred, September 23, 2010, 10:47:17 PM

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Adrian Malacoda

Quote from: Kindred on September 24, 2010, 10:43:32 PM
and what was the point of that comment?   Our formation as an NPO has nothing, what-so-ever to do with the license.
Well, no, but the fact that you use phrases like "open source" and "community owned" to describe a restrictive proprietary license does. If you're going to talk the talk, maybe you should consider walking the walk as well; else, I humbly ask (practically beg) Simple Machines to please please please stop calling this license "open source". "Free" (as in cost) is okay, community-developed software is okay, but "open source" embodies a set of concepts that the SMF license deliberately avoids (in favor of protecting the "intellectual property" of the codebase from nasty thieves). If I buy a license for vBulletin, I get pretty much the same rights to that copy of vB that I do to my copy of SMF. Does this make vBulletin open source? Invision Board before 2.0 was distributed under a similar license but no longer is, does that make Invision Board 1.3 open source? If you're important enough, you can get access to Microsoft source code; therefore, is Windows open source?

(Warning: FSF zealot opinion below)

"Open source" itself is a euphemism for Richard Stallman's concept of free (libre) software, which is said to grant its users four basic freedoms (briefly: use, modify, distribute, fork). The phrase open source is supposed to be devoid of the confusion inherent in the English word "free" but carries its own problems. In the 27 years since the founding of the GNU project, Stallman's original concept had been watered down from "Every computer user shall have these fundamental rights to their software" to "Capitalism is evil! Microsoft sucks!" (for users) and "We can get all this code without paying anything! But how can we avoid giving back?" (for developers and companies). I don't even like the phrase "open source", it's only a buzzword to me (kind of like one of those supposed concepts of "web 2.0", like "the cloud"), but since this is how people know Stallman's libre software, I have to go along with it.

But even "open source" has some semblance of a meaning attached to it, that somewhat vaguely resembles Stallman's original concept. By wrapping up a license like SMF's in an "open source" veil you're diminishing the overall perceived importance of Stallman's four freedoms (particularly the ones concerning distribution and forking). You're saying "Yeah, we're not technically open source, but we're every bit as good as open source!" while only providing regular old proprietary freeware and not true F/OSS. Not only does it suggest that those last two freedoms aren't important, or that "no one ever needed them anyway", but it simply causes more confusion as to what the term is supposed to mean. This is harmful to those of us that actually do care about something other than not paying for software.

I'm not asking Simple Machines to free SMF (although that would be awesome beyond belief). I'm simply asking that, if it stays proprietary, to stop misrepresenting it as open source.

I say this as a donating FSF member, free (libre) software developer and activist, and a SMF user for over 5 years.

(/zealotry)

But on a better note, glad to hear there's a proper non-profit structure being set up for the project. In any case, an NPO is better equipped to manage a community-centric project than a for-profit entity.

Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen

You do know there are multiple factual definitions for open source, and in one sense SMF has always been open source - the source is freely available, and free to be modified within the limits of the licence. The only thing that is not really open, is the licence...
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Congrats to all involved for reaching the long term goals desired for so long by so many. I wish you all the best of luck and good will towards future endeavors.

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Me fail English? That's unpossible.

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Congrats to all for a job well done!


Kindred

(turning off microphone and commenting as personal opinion, not project)
Personally, I don't think it would be politic to air what I think of the FSF.
(microphone back on)


That being said, we ARE Open.  We ARE free.   We just do not use the (extremely limited and narrow) definition of those words that the FSF would prefer and tries to force everyone to use. YOUR definition of the word "free" is what YOU choose to use... not the rest of the English speaking world. We do not make any claims to be "FSF supported" or even "OSI licensed"

As I have already said, we will never be GPL, because GPL is a BAD license. If we do change the license, it will be to something other than GPL...   

But, as I have already said, the License has nothing to do with the NPO.
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PurpleCrow

Can I ask what difference this is going to make? (God that sounds rude, I dont mean it to be!).
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Kindred

Quote from: Kindred on September 23, 2010, 10:47:17 PM
... The new organizational structure returns us to our roots as a community owned project.

The new organization is led by a Board of Directors.
...
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

PurpleCrow

Quote from: Kindred on September 25, 2010, 10:24:40 AM
Quote from: Kindred on September 23, 2010, 10:47:17 PM
... The new organizational structure returns us to our roots as a community owned project.

The new organization is led by a Board of Directors.
...

Yes, I had read the entire thread, including your first post so quoting it at me is just plain rude.

I ask again, what difference is this going to make?
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Kindred

I was not being rude. I answered your question.
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

Oya

no u havent

u've said what's *different* but u haven't said how it's going to change things

what changs will the common user actually see other than the copyright changing?

PurpleCrow

Quote from: Oya on September 25, 2010, 10:43:33 AM
no u havent

u've said what's *different* but u haven't said how it's going to change things

what changs will the common user actually see other than the copyright changing?

Exactly.

What will the little people, those who use (and love!) the software, see?

I admit I dont follow the news on here, I dont pay attention to the petty arguements and the obvious problems that there were in the background. It seems that this change is meant to resolve the previous issues but does that mean there are going to be changes to the software?
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Kindred

this is not a software announcement. This is a "corporate" announcement.

There is no change in the software at this time.
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

nend

If I may ask, where is this NPO registered at? Different locations different set of rules.  ;)

Kindred

Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

Apllicmz

Very Good Listening

welcome

mean it will never have a bridge officer to joomla



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