Metaprogramming and Free Availability of Sources

[iepos@tunes.org]

> >> In the absence of intellectual property, people could still distribute
> >> binaries without the sources.
> >
> > Yes, you are right.  Therefore, simply eliminating copyright would not
> > make all software free.  To do that, we would also need a consumer
> > protection law requiring publishers of software to make source code
> > available.
> 
> [no, we don't need "consumer protection" laws]
> [copying information one has received is a natural right]
> [but forcing others to disclose their information is not]
> [patents and copyrights are pathetic]
> [without them and NDAs, market pressure would cause most people to
   voluntarily publish source code]

amen and amen, brother!  (:-))

> [about the duty to acknowledge the truth]

some may feel they have a duty to always acknowledge the truth; however,
i feel that lies should only be punished in the case of a formal claims
(which would include people's claim as to who wrote what software, if
their claim was clearly of a formal nature); non-disclosure of information
should never be punished, except perhaps in cases where the concealed
information would reveal a crime (i.e., "judicial conflict").

> Copyleft is using the intellectual property system's weapon against itself,
> which is a good thing until the system is dead.

indeed, hopefully the spreaders of free information will put the
hoarders out of business, at which point removing the intellectual property
laws would be no big deal. there is still a long way to go... until then,
copyleft seems like a good thing.

also, i've wondered why the american Libertarian Party has not taken
a stand on this issue? it seems to me that any educated libertarian would
realize that this is just another Braindead Bureaucracy. maybe they'll
mention it in the next version of their "Platform". if you're a member,
it might not hurt to bug your region representative (they've got an email
list available on their site). the more sane voices speaking out against this,
the better.

- iepos / iepos@tunes.org / http://www.tunes.org/~iepos