Re: State of the GNUnion 2020

[DJ Delorie]

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?"

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.