FreeTDS Development Group

["Lowden, James K" <LowdenJK AT bernstein.com>]

> From: Shanmugham, Abilash (London) 
> [mailto:ShanmAbi AT exchange.uk.ml.com]
> Sent: September 27, 2002 12:08 PM
> 
> Why the GPL promotes more open source
> 
> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/why-not-lgpl.html
> 
> -Abhi

Abhi, 

There's a case for making FreeTDS GPL.  It meets RMS's criterion of having
no competition, for instance.  

Two countervailing arguments:

1.  Vendors of proprietary systems contribute to FreeTDS because they can
use it.  That makes for a better library for the likes of Perl and PHP.  I
for one would rather accept their help, so we can pass it on to everyone
else.  

2.  Brian wrote the code and chose the license.  Nowadays we have a lot of
non-Brian code, which is wonderful, leading to many important improvements!
But the originator chooses a license at the outset, when the project is a
one-man band, until it (he) achieves critical mass.  His choice is normally
kept, partly because the project attracts like minds, partly inertia, and
partly out of deference.  Even, sometimes, because it was the right choice.


As things stand, FreeTDS can help everyone and accept help from everyone,
and can focus on getting the job done.  Speaking for myself, that's how I
like to work.  

Regards, 

--jkl



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