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Is time for GPL v 4.0?
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this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2023
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I think if we want a GPLv4, it should not be made by the FSF.
But ironically they are the "owner" of the license, anyone can't modify it
Why is that, out of curiosity?
The FSF is a non-working organization which refuses to let go of its horrible founder. I hoped it would move on, it didn't and refused to despite massive amounts of community backlash. I no longer believe they should have any role in representing the Free Software movement.
I really like Stallman, the man that made me think about the importance of free software. In my opinion he is essential for free software movement even with some "controversial" ideas. I like the way he defends his ideas, is something rare nowadays.
I mean, I think his ideas on free software are good generally but his behaviour and opinions on other topics are pretty fucking terrible. I don't understand why people want to defend that part. The FSF can function without him and defend the ideas of Free Software.
Indeed, his ideas are often very controversial, he is a old man with old habits and I think he has some deficiency in the way he communicates with people that are contrary to his ideas and this fact makes everything even worse. I don't know what will be with FSF after him for good and bad.
Some of his ideas are very harmful and he is an abuser. I don't know what to tell you.
I don't want to defend all of his ideas, but I do want to point out that he's most definitely neurodivergent, while having been used as a tackle target on several fronts by the same people claiming to defend people like him.
If you take a look at those "opinions" from a purely abstract and "internal musings" point of view, you realize that his main fault has been musing aloud while staying in the spotlight and repeating a PR stunt routine taken from an age when Bill Cosby was seen as a family role model.
The GPL is a license made by the FSF, not sure who else could make a new version other than them. Other entities make their own licenses, which might or not be compatible with the GPL.
Anyone can make a license and make it compatible with the GPL but yes, I forgot that the FSF doesn't allow modifications of the GPL which is pretty fucking weird thinking more about it.
It makes sense, because it makes "GPL" act as a trademark and a guarantee that the license is what it's supposed to be. And they get that without even paying for a trademark registration, which also makes it a brilliant abuse of copyright law (which, arguably, is what the whole license is about in the first place).