Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by tpxl 1433 days ago
It is now more relevant than ever. AGPL backends fix the proprietary API problem.
2 comments
rprospero 1433 days ago
It confuses me sometimes that we split the entire community between GPL versions 2 and 3 to thwart the terrible TiVo, but making AGPL just GPL 4 never seems to be discussed. Especially since GPL 3 is self upgrading, so there’s no risk of a new split.
link
trasz 1433 days ago
AGPL fixes nothing; the companies will simply base their backends on software that’s not AGPL-encumbered.
link
CRConrad 1432 days ago
Sure seems to fix the "taking software based on ostensibly FOSS licenses non-free by going cloud" problem, doesn't it?

Sure, if companies take software which they wrote themselves from scratch, without basing it on FOSS, down that route, that's their prerogative. But then the potential users have the equal prerogative of saying "No thanks, I prefer FOSS."

link
trasz 1432 days ago
It doesn't - companies can still use FOSS software, just not AGPL. That's pretty much exactly how it works right now.
link
CRConrad 1431 days ago
Yes, of course a license can't fix anything if nobody uses it.

So it should be implicitly pretty obvious that that meant "the license can fix things if FOSS developers actually use it", shouldn't it?

link
trasz 1431 days ago
Again, no - it would only work if every single one FOSS developer agreed to use it.
link
CRConrad 1427 days ago
> Again, no - it would only work if every single one FOSS developer agreed to use it.

Huh? Whatchoo talking about, Willis?

If "only" 99% of FOSS developers used a truly freedom-preserving FOSS license, only 1% of FOS software could be taken non-free.

If "only" 90% of FOSS developers used a truly freedom-preserving FOSS license, only 10% of FOS software could be taken non-free.

Dunno where you draw the line of "works", but I'd say down to around 80/20 or perhaps even 70/30 would be "pretty much works".

link