>>> The attitude that the end (hardware support) justifies the means
>>> (complete sacrifice of the principles the thing was written under
>>> in the first place) has to stop.
>>
In a private reply to my initial mail Jim Gettys (OLPC / Red Hat) said:
Free and open software is a means to an end, rather than the
sole end unto itself for OLPC.
I was totally stunned by this admission. "morally bankrupt", as Bob
says, is exactly what is going on.
I believe it says exactly what is going on with Red Hat - they wish
to bring the community on with the belief that this is a free software project
and it is not. The fact that it may in fact run a linux kernel has no
bearing on it. They might as well be running windows.
It is completely shameful. One Laptop Per Citizen - controlled by
the cabal.
In the end, all this only make me fell even stronger about my choice of
OpenBSD and what it's stand for! Even when I see emails crying to the
dying of NetBSD, or fake fight by Linux and variations of that all
pretend to be your friends and provide good software and be the defender
of Freedom! Look to me that none really remember where they started from
and what they are suppose to stand for!
Isn't is a say in English that say,"If you can't beat them joint them!"
Look to me that many big company got involved in the open source as it
couldn't be stop a the time it happen and some may be wanted to do good,
although I have to question for sure! Other clearly took it as a mean to
the end and a way to kill it somehow! Or diminished it's freedom!
An utopia would be to see all the *BSD talks with one voice and all the
GPL Linux various do the same as well and required simply free
documentation, not drivers, just documentations to hardware that users
are paying for in the first place.
How cares what's inside, tell the in and out and how to operate the dam
things, that all is required. Keep your secrets as to how you did it. No
one wants to know!
And allow Firmware to be distribute freely as well. I bought the
hardware, why would I need to sign an agreement to use it!
If that's how they want it, then be upfront and force me to sign it
before I buy it, then I will buy something else.
Same on Intel to be stubborn like that, May their market share shrink
under the Sun! I for one haven't got an Intel processor in a long time
as AMD provided documentations, my OS of choice works better on it
anyway! Shame on Adaptec not to provide SCSI documentations, my LSI
works better anyway! Even my wireless works better now!
When will the open source community understand where they have been and
where they comes from!
Great things have been accomplish in the pass because of a united voice
fro the community and the various projects working together!
Let it be known that it's not with NDA that this happened before and
sure will not continue in the future either.
Doing it as it is now simply play directly in the hands of the same
corporations that wish and dream of killing the open source so that they
can once more charge unreal prices for buggy software and provide you
bug fix for them that they call upgrades! Or improve OS version that you
needs to buy again over and over again and where you need to replace
your hardware each time as your new improve OS doesn't work on your old
hardware!
If the various *BSD and Linux are dying because they can't remove their
heads from the sand, let them die! Very sad and I sure don't wish that
at all, but may as well see it gone as it doesn't help to be in play
with the others as it hurt every players!
Isn't it just a few weeks ago that I read to my astonishment Bush saying
that even freedom have to have limits!
I guess there is no surprise that big company see that as normal to them
too!
Freedom is a journey, not a destination!
Unless all the open source projects learn this and can joint to speak
with one voice, they simply lie to them self and all their users and in
the end deal their own dead cards!
Lets take it as a regrouping movement and spread the words as it should
and how it's always been done in the pass for leap forward!
I for one never been so proud to be called a stubborn OpenBSD sanababish
for forcing the use of OpenBSD in my business to my staff and if they
don't like it, the door is wide open!
Yes call that dictator if you like!
It's pretty clear before you enter the office that OpenBSD is what's we
run. You don't like it, then don't apply for a job, there isn't one for you!
My greatest respect goes to ALL OpenBSD developers and what they stands
for and for the users that follow into the foots step and see it as well
as a value to them and to their peers and defend the goal as well in the
process!
This only make me wants to support the project even more!
Now go to make a donations as I know it is really use for the good cause!
Do the right things too!
Support the last bastion of Freedom!
Hopefully other projects will see the light before it is to late for them!
Best and long live OpenBSD!
Daniel
