Re: State of the GNUnion 2020

[Jean Louis]

* DJ Delorie <dj@delorie.com> [2020-02-20 07:09]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> > * DJ Delorie <dj@delorie.com> [2020-02-19 21:01]:
> >> 
> >> "Kaz Kylheku (gnu-misc-discuss)" <936-846-2769@kylheku.com> writes:
> >> > On 2020-02-17 12:37, Andy Wingo wrote:
> >> >> Thought experiment: what would GNU be if all of its packages stopped
> >> >> developing?  Dead, right?
> >> >
> >> > The immediate effect would become more of a stable base for the vast
> >> > amount of material that depends on it.
> >> 
> >> For about a month or so, until the next bug, security problem, or
> >> missing feature were reported... then people would switch to whatever
> >> software was responsive to these problems.  If GNU doesn't respond,
> >> someone will eventually fork the software (because they can :) and GNU
> >> would lose users.
> >
> > When people continue developing free software it is a win, not loss.
> 
> The question wasn't "what would free software be?"  it was "what would
> GNU be?"

That is matter of view point.

> There are a lot of projects that are free software but not GNU.  If
> people choose to work on those projects instead of GNU, GNU loses, even
> if free software wins.

You have the view point that if there are free software developers and
free software which is not GNU, that it is competition to GNU.

I am not sharing that view point. The more free software is developed,
the better.

Obviously the GPL license was not made for GNU only, so it was always
strategy of GNU that people start developing free software.

If people use GPL license but also other free software license, that
is not a loss, it is a win for GNU.

It was strategy of GNU since the inception of the GPL.

Just ask yourself, was GPL license made for GNU only? Or was it
already made and prepared for the world?

Jean