On Monday, December 13, 2010 6:18:24 PM UTC-5, Branko Vukelic wrote: > > First, technically, GPL license is totally ok if we look at web2py on > its own. It gets the job done. Releasing web2py under LGPL > accomplishes nothing for the framework that GPL hasn't already. > Agreed.
> We were actually discussing applications built to run on top of web2py. > That's covered by the exceptions, and imho, they should be enough. No > change is required, since FSF's suggestions are already implemented. > The FSF has a different agenda from people who want to distribute their web2py applications closed source. GPL plus exceptions certainly works, but apparently it does create an obstacle for some (at least 3 people in this thread, and several on reddit, who presumably are representative of some segment of the potential user population). Is it worth catering to this segment of the population? Perhaps not, but I don't necessarily want to dismiss them as in need of counseling. Most other frameworks are indeed MIT/BSD, so these people aren't crazy. > The only thing that needs to change is to make the exceptions more > prominent (FTR, I haven't seen them before this discussion started.) > I would say we might also want to work on the wording. For example, the exception for web2py applications simply says: "You can distribute web2py app under any license you like as long they do not contain web2py code." First, let's fix the grammar and say "web2py applications". Then, how do we define "web2py application", and exactly what does it mean to "contain web2py code"? What if you import Auth or Mail? How are plugins treated? plugin_wiki? wizard code? A lawyer evaluating this one line exception might justifiably be concerned about exactly what it permits and prohibits. (There's some more explanation on the Download page in the License section, but it's not clear whether that is a legally binding part of the license, or just commentary on the license.) > On the psychological level, I doubt it would accomplish much in the > way of changing people's perception of 'evilness' of the GPL and its > derivatives (like LGPL). > Well, this is an empirical question. Intuition may not be a good guide to the answer. Anthony
