[ic] Re: AOL in negotiation to buy Red Hat

Barry Treahy, Jr. interchange-users@interchange.redhat.com
Tue Jan 22 13:42:01 2002


Scott Underwood wrote:

>Does this mean if they release code on one product they are Open Source? 
>Remember Open Source is an idea as much as it describes the source code. 
>
>I don't think AOL embraces the idea or this server would be licensed under 
>GPL not Mozilla. AOL is the epitomy of capatalism which runs contrary to 
>the idea of an Open Source ideal.
>
"epitome of capitalism," boy Scott, you make that sound so nasty but isn't that why we are all here, to develop web based e-commerce to 'make money?'  That is capitalism and there is nothing wrong with that.  Though I'm grateful for free software, selling software is no different than selling shirts, shoes, CD's, or car which is the exchange of a good or service which has value to someone else for something of value, typically currency.

Lets remember that regardless of what the licensing policy is, it does take resources to develop software.  Redhat wouldn't exist to support Linux and IC if they couldn't show a profit in one manner or another and I'm not attempting to suggest that MV or IC would not exist today without RH, but Mike needs to keep food on the table too and if the direct or indirect results of his MV/IC efforts didn't pay the bills, it would probably not have become the product it is today...

Barry
  


-- 

Barry Treahy, Jr  *  Midwest Microwave  *  Vice President & CIO 

E-mail: Treahy@mmaz.com * Phone: 480/314-1320 * FAX: 480/661-7028