Gentoo Archives: gentoo-dev

From: Duncan <1i5t5.duncan@×××.net>
To: gentoo-dev@l.g.o
Subject: [gentoo-dev] Re: Patent threat?
Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2006 15:29:53
Message-Id: eiq8ef$i45$5@sea.gmane.org
In Reply to: [gentoo-dev] Patent threat? by Jeff Rollin
1 "Jeff Rollin" <jeff.rollin@×××××.com> posted
2 8a0028260611070557i615431fft4e7d205ffb7c7597@××××××××××.com, excerpted
3 below, on Tue, 07 Nov 2006 13:57:12 +0000:
4
5 > I'd like to ask how many Gentoo devs get paid for contributions to Gentoo?
6 > How many of you (paid or non-paid) think MS's threat to sue over patents is
7 > a real danger?
8
9 No devs get paid directly for working on Gentoo -- they are all
10 volunteers. Having said that, from the remarks of a few devs over time, I
11 believe (a) some devs have the particular job they have in part because
12 they /are/ Gentoo devs, and (b) some devs became devs because they were
13 already using Gentoo on the job and wanted to be able to shape particular
14 packages or projects of interest more directly.
15
16 As for the patent threat, I think most in the community treat it much like
17 both the US and USSR treated the nuclear threat in the later stages of the
18 cold war. The outcome is so unthinkable, the ability of most individuals
19 to affect whether it happens or not so small, that most folks simply go on
20 doing what they are going to do, and if it happens, well, any survivors
21 will have to figure out how to continue with life at that point. If MS
22 pushes the button, they'll push the button. There's little you or I or
23 most FLOSS community devs can do about it, so it's really not worth
24 worrying about unless or until it happens. Keep a watchful eye and stay
25 informed, sure, but not much else.
26
27 --
28 Duncan - List replies preferred. No HTML msgs.
29 "Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
30 and if you use the program, he is your master." Richard Stallman
31
32 --
33 gentoo-dev@g.o mailing list

Replies

Subject Author
Re: [gentoo-dev] Re: Patent threat? Stuart Herbert <stuart.herbert@×××××.com>
Re: [gentoo-dev] Re: Patent threat? Luca Barbato <lu_zero@g.o>