Re: From Lua to Python?

[Sean Conner <sean@...>]

It was thus said that the Great Russell Haley once stated:
> On Tue, Jul 11, 2017 at 11:47 AM, Dibyendu Majumdar
> <mobile@majumdar.org.uk> wrote:
> > Hi Russ,
> >
> > On 10 July 2017 at 21:06, Russell Haley <russ.haley@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> So, again, I apologize. I will be sure to do more research before
> >> leveling accusations about the GPL. I still don't trust big companies
> >> that use it, but will attempt to do further research and avoid looking
> >> for positive affirmation of my opinion. I think I will also try to be
> >> a little less myopic about things that make me upset.
> >>
> >
> > I think it is easy to get misinformed these days thanks to the
> > Internet! Anyway, GPL is a Marxist license - very anti-establishment.
> > So I think it is very unlikely that companies are exploiting others
> > using GPL. It is more that GPL exploits others as it is not only a
> > license but a political statement aiming to change the world. And
> > maybe that is what is bad about it.
> 
> What I find difficult is the LACK of evidence, yet I FEEL like there
> is something nefarious happening with the use of the GPL by large
> companies. 

  Yes, they're trying to get away from it.  

  The GPL 3 lisense came about because of a loophole exploited by Tivo
(which used Linux).  Yes, you could get the source code, but you couldn't
actually modify the image on the machine and there was nothing in the GPL
(version 2 at the time) about it.  The FSF didn't like this, and thus came
out with the GPL 3 to close that particular loophole.

  This is a contentious issue because of things like John Deer (which makes
farming equipment like tractors and combines) not allowing non-authorized
personel to fix their equipment (can't copy that software!).  The question
comes down to---who actually "own" the machine?  The farmer that bought the
tractor?  Oh wait, was it just a license to use use the tractor?  What does
the fine print take away?

  -spc