Chris DiBona › Comments

OK, I finally got audio only from RealPlayer. Switched to Windows Media and got video too. - Michael R. Bernstein

Sorrry dude. - Chris DiBona from email

Hey, not your fault dude! - Michael R. Bernstein

Is there any way to post a question to ask? - Michael R. Bernstein

Because although they've certainly addressed the issue of user installable software (including plugins), no one has asked about browser extensions (or if they did, I missed it): http://www.chromeextensions.org/ - Michael R. Bernstein

Correct. - Chris DiBona from email

(you can have multiple 'desktops' like behavior) - Chris DiBona from email

So why is LGPL still in there? - Dave Johnson

Traction. - DeWitt Clinton

Ah, I see. LGPL has 8% - Dave Johnson

Still, not sure I like a project hosting site to dictate licensing philosophy on me - Dave Johnson

and CDDL has traction in my world ;-) - Dave Johnson

Hehe. But in a way that's a given, as many of the sites already dictate that it needs to be an OSI approved license. Google is just taking it one step further and trying to cull the unreasonable branching of licenses. Fortunately, there are plenty, like collab.net and sf.net that are more accommodating. I'm strongly supportive of Google's policy on this, btw. The more licenses there are the harder it becomes to legally create derivative works, which pretty much defeats the purpose of open source. - DeWitt Clinton

It's worth asking why CDDL, MPL, EPL, etc., seemed like a good idea at the time. And then asking again whether they still are. - DeWitt Clinton

Random tangent: I launched a software company years ago and licensed the code under a customized open source license (a rebranded clone of the MPL). No good reason for it, other than that seemed to be best practice at the time. (Thanks a lot, Mozilla.) But today, years later and well past the demise of that startup, I'm not sure if I could legally use that code in conjunction with Apache or GPL code. Seems like a lose/lose. - DeWitt Clinton

I think there are scenarios where soft copyleft makes sense and CDDL is a better option than LGPL - Dave Johnson

Hmm, I don't personally agree, but I could see why some people would prefer an alternative to the LGPL as the only "soft copyleft" license. But my objection is to needing a middle license in the first place, hence my position that one should either Apache or GPL, with no middle ground. - DeWitt Clinton

If Google is going to start dictating license choices to communities, it would be better to force a license like MPL or CDDL that addresses patents. But more than that, if licenses are the constitution for communities like Moglen says, this act of telling some communities they don't count as open source is patronizing and colonialist. - Simon Phipps

Oh come now, Simon, isn't that overstating the case just a bit? By far and away the two most popular licenses on Google Code address patents (Apache and GPL). And no one is saying other licenses aren't open source (the OSI is a good body to make that determination), Google is just taking a stand against *proliferation* of open source licenses. - DeWitt Clinton

I'd suggest Google is making a commercial decision reflecting its business model, DeWitt - the way to fight proliferation is at OSI. If Google would come out and say that I'd have no issue. - Simon Phipps

*Another* way to fight proliferation is at the OSI. I'm disappointed that to date the OSI hasn't taken up that fight. - DeWitt Clinton

BTW, this policy has been around since the launch of project hosting on Google Code, which predates the modern AGPL or adoption of the CDDL. While I personally am no fan of the AGPL, you are mistaken in asserting the non-proliferation policy is intended to target either of those licenses specifically. But sure, it is a commercial interest -- fewer licenses is better for open source in general, and Google benefits greatly both as a developer/contributor of and a user of open source software. - DeWitt Clinton

Google also benefits when other people benefit from open source. Open source leads to more and better applications being written, many of which will be built on the web or enable the web, which in turn attracts more users to the web, which in turn tends to benefit Google (rising tide lifts all ships, and all). It's a place where altruism and commercial interest are strongly aligned. Win/win, I'd say. - DeWitt Clinton

Hi Dave, I can understand not liking it when we don't support your license, but it doesn't mean you can't just use your favorite license anyway, somewhere else. In this one place, project hosting, we try to provide a site consistent with what we consider to be best practices in open source development. This includes selection around licenses. Mind you, we have had cddl, agpl and mpl projects in the summer of code and we're happy to help out those projects in that way. - Chris DiBona