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What if I don't care much about what the OSI or FSF think and don't buy their rationale? Is there a good, practical argument against such licenses?


Then don't use an open source or free software license. Write your own custom license (perhaps consult with legal counsel in the process) and use it for the software you create.

I don't argue that such licenses are bad (though the FSF might), just that they are neither open source nor free.


Oh, yeah well that's not a real open source license. Apologies I read the "open source" more as in "it's on github" and was a little confused what all the organizations and definitions have to do with the actual idea


then you and the 100 other people who feel that way will be the ones to save humanity. no pressure


Very cool but I don't care about saving humanity either, parent of parent asked a valid question and "FSF says so" with some hand wavy rationale is just not a very satisfying answer.


They call it a "nuclear option" which generally implies some level of effectiveness. The fact that nobody would agree to go along with this sort of scheme renders it ineffective. This isn't a nuclear option, it is a wet fart option.


Thank you, that makes some sense.

I'm not trying to be contrarian here, I was curious why not and why this isn't a thing already. I'm just more of a programmer guy and less of a lawyer guy




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