Actually if you look at the multitude of SourceForge and FreshMeat FAILURES you can see that this form of communism is already starting to gove up the ghost too. Can anyone say "vaporware"? That's what about 90 percent of the projects on those web sites consists of. I just finished a project for a client using open source software available on sourceforge.com. I needed some java code that would allow me to read and modify a PDF file.
After ten minutes of looking on google, I found that a class library developed by Etymon Systems would do the job. I downloaded it from sourceforge, looked at it, compiled it on my system, wrote an application using it, and my app is now up and working.
Since it is open-source, I can support it myself if need be. The source is well written, well documented, and serves as an excellent piece of promotion for Etymon's consulting and software development services.
In the process of using it, my application displayed a problem. The stack trace showed me which function the problem was in (the PDF file I was trying to parse used an obscure feature that the Etymon software did not support). I added code to the Etymon function to handle the feature, recompiled and I'm in business. No hour-long waits on a customer service line. No Customer-service person with complete lack of English skills. I fixed the problem and moved on.
I am not taking your concerns as insults. In fact I share a lot of your concerns about Microsoft and other corporations
doing the "filch 'n' copy" routine on open source code (particularly if they intend to slap a software patent on their theft). I will also admit that the GPL contains some good points. (I have NEVER been against the idea of voluntary sharing of source code. It's just that I believe that someday with people of the likes of Richard Stallman and "Free Developers" particularly in charge it's going to be a little less than voluntary and fall into socialist failurelike all other leftist projects eventually tend to be. )
Therefore my next article will propose a NEW FREE SOFTWARE/
OPEN SOURCE license that I believes addresses all the concerns of people who have posted to this article, both of my attempts at song parodies so far (remember "Coral SnaLe"
I've actually got a good laugh at my own expense out of that mistake myself ;-) Black, yellow and red venomous FRENCHIE FOOD.)
This new license will be drawing from several sources including The Open source license for the Genesis 3d Engine
BSD/MIT and EVEN THE GPL. It will also include clauses about indemnification of end users against lawsuits like SCO's that will make Open Source project mantainers DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for their copyright and patent infringements no matter how they come about and a section alowing for the government prohibition of Open Source code under the licenst to enemy nations and terrorist organizations. This license will even be given a proper American patriotic name, The FREEDOM PUBLIC LICENSE.
Once again I appreciate all the posts that have been made to this article both pro and con and all that will be made
in the future and will have the Freedom Public License available for your parusal here as soon as possible.