Open Source Values

[Brian Densmore]

-----Original Message-----
From: Garrett Goebel

> Brian Densmore wrote: 
>> 
>> Open source is about freedom, but not all government 
>> regulation is bad. 
> Freedom "to" or freedom "from"? 
Yes. Both.

> That's a kind of empty statement.
Thanks, I needed to empty anyway.


>> I like knowing that not any Joe 
>> Schmoe can get a license to practice medicine, 
> In Kansas, a chiropractor can do a physical. 
But you have to be licensed as a chiropractor. You can't just print
off a certificate and be a chiropractor.

>> or that vehicles have to meet a minimum standard of 
>> to be considered road worthy 
> Have you been outside lately? Cars only have to have _once_ been considered road worthy.
Frequently. True, but at least I know that new cars aren't being built out of
termite infested wood painted to look like metal. The kind of control it would take to ensure that all vehicles are always road-worthy is much too encroachment for me to want.

Please refer to my original response that *not ALL gov't regulation is bad*)
I never said "Ooooh, I love gov't regulation. Please give me more!

>> or that daycare facilities need to check for criminal 
>> records before hiring. I like the idea of my children 
>> being cared for by people who haven't been convicted 
>> of being a pedophile. Call me crazy. 
> Do they really? Can you cite the statute? How effective has it been? 
Yes, they do. Criminal background checks are required of all licensed daycare in MO.
No I can't cite it (well I could but I'm too lazy to go to the web and look it up).
I don't know how effective it is. It's not of course going to catch those that have
been smart enough to not get caught, but it's certainly better than nothing. If you
can't see this then I pity you, as there are a lot of sick people out there and
anything that can help to reduce the risk is in my book a *good thing*.

>> The problem is some times there's too much and other times 
>> there's not enough. 
>No. The problem is that sometimes it is coercive and sometimes it isn't. 
Whatever.

> People love to talk about how the FDA protects us from bad drugs. 
Not me.


>> I also like knowing that not just any Joe Shmoe can contribute 
>> to the official Linux kernel. There are regulations in place to 
>> prevent that. 
> Huh? I assume by official, you're talking about Linus' kernel and not the NSA's. Anybody _can_ 
> contribute to Linus' kernel. There aren't regulations in place to prevent that
Yes. Ok, let's see you upload a patch to the linux archives. What you can't it
has to be approved by Linus or one of his people? What you have to certify to them
that you are free to contribute the code? Oh, they want a letter from your company,
on company letterhead stating that? Ok, whatever. Have it your way there are no
restrictions on submitting patches and code to the Linux kernel...
in your little fantasy filled world.


>> I like the idea that any Joe Schmoe has the freedom to qualify 
>> under the existing fair regulations to be able to contribute to 
>> the Linux kernel. Freedom is great but without some form of 
>> control there is chaos and chaos is not always a good thing. 
> I hate it when people use the word fair.
I can see you have issues.