From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,58988230753075de X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-07-29 15:09:48 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!postnews1.google.com!not-for-mail From: dewar@gnat.com (Robert Dewar) Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: In praise of Ada Freeware Date: 29 Jul 2001 15:09:48 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Message-ID: <5ee5b646.0107291409.6538ad64@posting.google.com> References: <87wv4r1uy5.fsf@deneb.enyo.de> <+uc0vOZmzK9b@eisner.encompasserve.org> NNTP-Posting-Host: 205.232.38.14 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: posting.google.com 996444588 2409 127.0.0.1 (29 Jul 2001 22:09:48 GMT) X-Complaints-To: groups-support@google.com NNTP-Posting-Date: 29 Jul 2001 22:09:48 GMT Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:10699 Date: 2001-07-29T22:09:48+00:00 List-Id: Kilgallen@eisner.decus.org.nospam (Larry Kilgallen) wrote in message news:<+uc0vOZmzK9b@eisner.encompasserve.org>... > In article <87wv4r1uy5.fsf@deneb.enyo.de>, Florian Weimer writes: > The first one was my point -- those whose interest is more > in encouraging use of Ada than in encouraging the use of GPL > should remember the Freeware route. You are creating a choice that does not exist. The point of using the GPL is to ensure that the software remains accessible and redistributable in source form. Given that it is this accessibility that allows people to appreciate the effectiveness of Ada, the use of the GPL is certainly not for its own sake, but precisely because many of us see this as the best way of encouraging the use of Ada. Take two possible scenarios ... 1. You write something in Ada, and distribute the resulting binary as freeware (as previously noted in this thread, freeware typically refers to binaries distributed free). What possible value can this have in promoting Ada? None as far as I can see. 2. You write something in Ada, and put in the public domain (it may just possibly be the case that Larry really meant this when he used the word freeware), and distribute the sources. Microsoft now takes the software, translates it into C, and puts it into Windows XP++. Again how does that help Ada? Not much! The point of using the GPL is precisely to ensure that the Ada sources remain available and accessible, and this seems the best way to ensure that as many people as possible are exposed to the effective use of Ada.