[seul-edu] Re: New educational section in GNU

[Bruno Vernier <vernier@vc.bc.ca>]

On Tue, Dec 26, 2000 at 08:17:24PM +0100, Vladimir Tamara wrote:

>     Douglas> I hope this doesn't mean that you're planning to
>     Douglas> unsubscribe from the seul-edu mailing list.  I was mildly
>     Douglas> unhappy when Hilaire Fernandes did so.  Just because the
>     Douglas> FSF point of view isn't exactly the SEUL/edu one doesn't
>     Douglas> mean that we shouldn't be listening and talking to each
>     Douglas> other.
> 
> I wouldn't like to unsubscribe.  I hope  to find a way to stay in this
> list while I'm consistent with my beliefs.

Here is my opinion (I have been firmly pro-GPL since 1993)

I've been subscribed to this list for now 2 full years (starting shortly after
its creation).  I joined because it was the first list I came across to deal with the
topic of linux in education.  Doug has consistently done an excellent job
of encouraging members to participate on the list in by helping out in many
projects.  This list has helped me immensely in making connections (links)
with likeminded pro-GPL teachers/programmers.  

Every once in a while, there have been threads about free vs. non-free
projects on seul-edu.  My approach has been debian-like: for all projects,
I clearly need to know the type of Licence and I sure appreciate it 
(as a time saver) when someone creates a separate catalog/index of just 
the GPLish projects/programs. 

The Debian GNU/Linux community is not tearing itself apart over this issue
anymore now that the catalogs for debian free packages are separatable from
the non-free ones.  Everyone works on whatever they want and those of us 
who want to spend time researching only free programs/projects are no 
longer distracted by "false positives".

And yet, access to Debian (the most pro-GPL distribution) also
includes access to non-free packages if I so choose (just one extra line
in /etc/apt/sources_list). 

I feel perfectly at home on this list, rubbing shoulders with people who
prefer other (what we, GPL-orthodox, call  non-free) licences, because 

1. no one has remotely put any pressure whatsoever on me to change the 
licence on my work, and plenty of others share my enthousiasm for the GPL.

2. the information and encouragement that I get from this list is worth
maintaining my subscription

So I hope that people like  Vladimir and Hilaire stay or come back
to the list.  It is not so much that we need to build up our "side", but
this list is a very honorable and appropriate place in which to continue
publishing reports of our work and discuss issues/news  about educational
programs and stuff in a GNU/linux environment.  

I think it is also appropriate for the GNU website not to post links to
sites that do not separate their free from non-free stuff.  If the seul-edu
community wants to be linked from GNU, we now clearly know the rules.  But I
refuse to interpret that as some sort of shameful thing (on either
seul-edu's part or GNU's part)... everyone is free to make links (or to
hope for links to be made from or ) to whatever they want.

So as a pro-GPL "veteran", I want to honor Doug's work in maintaining this
list, I want to thank all the members who write relevantly about linux and
education and allow those of us who are GPL-orthodox to feel at home here. 

Bruno