Re: Freeware vs PD (was: filesystem programs)

[Dan Bethe <dtm@netcomi.com>]

Pim Blokland wrote:

> I'm a bit confused by your definition of "freeware" and "public domain".

	Pim, I suggest http://www.gnu.org.  Read that stuff and read the free
software manifesto written by RMS if you want to get heavily
philosophical into the illusion called "intellectual property".
	"freeware" typically describes the distribution of an item.  Meaning
that it comes free of cost.  But it's not really free because you don't
get everything with that free distribution -- only a working binary
program, not always source and docs.  Public domain tends to mean that
the whole thing can float around like air, without the typical myth of
an "owner".
	Everything, even this email right here that I'm typing, is copyrighted
just because we make it.  So it's generally considered illegal to claim
that you wrote what you didn't write.
	Notice my nebulous vocabulary on the subject?  I say "generally" and
"usually".  That's because these things sometimes depend upon context. 
That has a lot to do with the fact that it's impossible to enforce
intellectual property laws, which has a lot to do with the fact that
they're a farce.  Information wants to be free, and people *do* want to
just get along.
	Long live GNU  :)

p.s.  just don't go stealin other peoples' stuff because if they worked
hard to put it together, you can respect the opportunity cost that went
into it.  People with excellent ethical and technical skills tend not to
have this problem, however -- they can just write the world's best free
software in their spare time or as a fully paying job.  I'll
occasionally (rarely) buy software until they learn how to do it right
-- for free.

p.s.  why did i write all that?  sorry :}