Re: What does "free software" mean?

RMS:
> It looks like Eric is trying to discourage people from getting
> together to write a free replacement for ncurses. I sent him a
> message yesterday, saying that he couldn't block an alternative curses
> project by force of law, and suggesting that he make it unnecessary,
> by making ncurses free.
>
> It looks like he's trying a third alternative: a self-fulfilling
> prophecy aimed at convincing people to give up.

This is a very peculiar interpretation of my remarks, and I must
respectfully contest it.

I would prefer that there not be multiple curses projects, because
(a) duplication of work is wasteful and (b) having more than one project
dilutes the incentives that would induce other developers to commit
time to it.

However, I have at no time suggested that I would try to use the law
to prevent the FSF or anybody else from doing their own curses from
scratch. Even Thomas Dickey could do that without a word of protest
from me.

-- 
		Eric S. Raymond