Re: Mining the Blogosphere

[David Kastrup]

RJack <user@example.net> writes:

> It is amazing to watch the communication strategy that Free Software
> advocates utilize in promoting their socialist goals. The FSF and SFLC
> have created an efficient network of Astroturf sites that is dedicated
> to promoting their goals. Moglen, Perens, Khun, Lessig and a growing
> list of "advocates" routinely pop up and utter some pronouncement
> concerning the undefined concept known as "open source" or
> F/L/OSS. These utterances are then picked up and amplified throughout
> the Blogosphere and quickly assume an aura of invincible truth.

Feel free to do the same.  Oh, you already do.  Could there be a reason
why nobody picks _your_ utterances up?

> The fanfare and sheer volume of internet posts surrounding the
> announcement that the SFLC had filed suit against Best Buy and
> thirteen other corporations was impressive. I Googled [sflc "best buy"
> infringement] and received 67,400 hits (an unscientific but relevant
> search). Obviously the announcement was considered an important
> development. Best Buy countersued for a declaratory judgment of
> non-infringement. A judgment of non-infringement in favor of Best Buy
> would utterly demolish the myth of Richard Stallman's "copyleft"
> principle.

A lot of judgments happen one way or the other without earth-shattering
consequences.  So there is even less reason to get all excited over
hypothetical judgments.

> So, how many blogs have noted this fact?

"fact" as a term for describing hypothetical consequences for a
hypothetical event is definitely not the normal use of the word.

> One poster to these news groups, amicus curious, aptly pointed out
> that the SFLC was probably going to be able to walk away with
> propaganda "victories" through voluntary dismissals until some company
> found it financially worthwhile to end the SFLC's legal charades. It
> appears that circumstance is well nigh at hand.

It's not like you would tire sounding that trumpet of doom.  After a few
years of that, the excitement wears off a bit.

> I wonder how the Blogosphere will react to the death of "copyleft".

I recommend learning the use of the subjunctive mode when you are
spilling one of your wet fantasies.

-- 
David Kastrup