Re: [GnomeMeeting-list] PWC driver story continues.

[Anne Wilson <cannewilson tiscali co uk>]

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On Thursday 16 Sep 2004 03:28, Wouter Van Hemel wrote:
>
> The way I see it, the GPL is an utopia. It's definitely worth fighting
> for, but in the mean while, I would like to use my webcam. Life goes on,
> I'm not going to hold my breath for all companies to open up all of their
> drivers and specifics before I fulfill the main goal of using my webcam to
> talk to people.
>
> Sometimes, the goal is to improve the world, and do things the hard way,
> sticking to what you believe in. Using my webcam is not one of those
> things; you can't fight all battles. It's software; not a religion. I
> don't like religion.
>
> The GPL is extremist, because it allows no middle way or respects no other
> license. And while that is good for some things, I believe it's also very
> unproductive and unflexible for others, such as allowing companies to
> slowly open up more of their drivers. Nobody wants to hear "the code or
> fuck off". That attitude makes the GPL even more just an utopia.
>
> And I don't need to tell you that we (as in the Linux users) *need*
> drivers; without pwc, for example, the support for 'available' webcams in
> Linux would be practically nill.
>
> Nothing is _always_ the answer. Unless you are a good mathematician. :)
>
A gpl driver would always be first choice for most of us, but we have to live 
in the real world.  Companies have been told for a long time that their very 
existence depends upon keeping secrets, and it will take some time to 
convince them that opening up does not damage them.  It takes time to build 
trust.

Anne
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Registered Linux User No.293302
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