Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes: > * DJ Delorie <d...@delorie.com> [2020-02-19 21:01]: >> >> "Kaz Kylheku (gnu-misc-discuss)" <936-846-2...@kylheku.com> writes: >> > On 2020-02-17 12:37, Andy Wingo wrote: >> >> Thought experiment: what would GNU be if all of its packages stopped >> >> developing? Dead, right? >> > >> > The immediate effect would become more of a stable base for the vast >> > amount of material that depends on it. >> >> For about a month or so, until the next bug, security problem, or >> missing feature were reported... then people would switch to whatever >> software was responsive to these problems. If GNU doesn't respond, >> someone will eventually fork the software (because they can :) and GNU >> would lose users. > > When people continue developing free software it is a win, not loss.
The question wasn't "what would free software be?" it was "what would GNU be?" There are a lot of projects that are free software but not GNU. If people choose to work on those projects instead of GNU, GNU loses, even if free software wins.
