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From: Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
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In-reply-to: <20021016201328.A24882@infradead.org> (message from Christoph
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Subject: Re: Bitkeeper outrage, old and new
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      Please note that linux-kernel is a highly technical list, it's
    not a list to discuss software development ethics.

A technical issue or project sometimes raises ethical issues.  When
that happens, discussing the ethical issues is an essential part of
the technical discussion.  A discussion which ignores the ethical
aspect of the issue is severely incomplete.

That does not happen often.  Most of the decisions in a technical
project are purely technical, and whatever is technically best is
really best.  After many such issues, it is easy to start thinking
that raising ethical issues in a technical issue is improper, that
there is some virtue in keeping technical decisions away from ethics.
That is a the worst mistake an engineer can make.

      Freedom includes
    for me that I can use any software that I have legally licensed (or
    written myself) without people complaining about it publically.

You are asking for the power to silence criticism.  That is not
freedom, that is a power.


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