Re: [gentoo-dev] License criteria for Gentoo

[Mark Bainter <mark-gt@cymry.org>]

Moritz Schulte [moritz@duesseldorf.ccc.de] wrote:
> "Kevyn Shortell" <kevyn@mac.com> writes:
>
> Well, of course, Linux and GNU components are the most essential
> pieces of the system, but they are essential in a different way.  I
> could imagine that the order "GNU/Linux" has historical roots.  The
> GNU Project was working on this free, Unix like operating system,
> named "GNU".  Many components of GNU were finished, but the Hurd core
> was not ready yet.  At that time Linux envolved and it became obvious
> that all the GNU components combined with the Linux component can form
> a more or less complete operating system.  So the name of system
> wouldn't be GNU anymore - but GNU/Linux.
[snip]
> Not RMS wants credit, he doesn't ask Gentoo to use the term RMS/Linux.
> He wants credit for the GNU Project, which means: many, many other
> people.

I think you misunderstand why RMS does this.  I think it really has 
little to do with giving credit for that development to the developers.  
That's already done.  This is about RMS making sure that the GNU 
foundation stays at the front of people's thoughts.  This is about 
RMS's free software crusade, thus, it's entirely about marketing.  
He needs GNU to continue to be a name in common usage, and to keep 
his group in out there in front of people.  It's all about the cause.

I understand this, and I can appreciate what he is trying to do.  I
just don't agree that this is the way to go about it.  If in fact
I'm wrong, and it IS about the credit, then I disagree even more.  
To make this issue about giving credit means that they overstate
their own importance in the big scheme of things.  I am thankfull
for those who did the work, as well as the work they did, but if
they hadn't done it someone else would have.  To think that they
are or were somehow critically important to this movement is 
incredibly foolish.  Nobody is indispensible, that's the beauty
of it.  Any of us could disappear of the face of the earth and 
someone else would pop up to take our place, and things would 
keep going.

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