> My point was that to be ethical, only paid subscribers should be
> downloading the isos period, from whatever source.  Anyway.

I flat-out disagree.  Subscribers get access to RedHat's network and
support.  The world gets access to the code!  What's next - not sharing your
CD with you buds at the UUG until they show up at Comp U.S.A?

RedHat has a problem; It went into business selling a product that is open
source and free.  They didn't write 1/100th of the code that they are
distributing.  Whatever types of fees they want to charge their customers,
is their business.

I think it's great they make a distribution of the various packages (it
happens to be my favorite distro - for now), but it doesn't concern me if
someone downloads software with an open license from a source other than the
distributor.  It's that ability to do so that has made so many of the open
source projects as great as they are.  Without the freedom to do this RedHat
wouldn't have the great apps to put together for the great distro that
RedHat is.

Now, before some of you get exercised about "supporting the companies" and
so on..  I do believe in supporting them - all of them.  I would be much
more likely to send some money or submit a patch to fix a bug to the folks
that maintain the code for PostgreSQL (or OO.org, GIMP, GNOME .... than the
company that the rolls it into the RPMs; that would be support.

Thanks for letting me rant.

Gabe

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