[Typo3] Some feedback to TYPO3 marketeers

[Heiner Lamprecht]

Hi,

On Sunday 16 October 2005 10:51, Karl Klammer wrote:
>
> I don't think that the mere existence of a 'moral license' would
> hinder the distribution of TYPO3 outside Europe. However, tiying
> this license to religion opens up a cultural gap. Just try to
> imagine a muslim installing T3. Placing pictures of Jesus in the
> install tool can be considered very offensive, and this is a
> totally unnessary attempt of missionizing.

ACK

> Personally, I agree with most of the contents of Kasper's wishes.
> And I think, we all know what is meant by "extreme political
> propaganda".

I don't think so.  There are lots of differences even between 
different "western countries".  And as soon as you go to other 
cultures, you will get completely different answers on those 
topics.

> And that he is not trying to force anybody to do 
> anything. But in connection with the fact, that Christianity has
> grown quite extremistic in itself over the past years

Years?  I think, it's more like centuries ...

> (at least 
> in some countries - just remember the debates about teaching
> 'intelligent design' in schools as equivalent to the evolution
> theory),

See above:  Some of those guys might consider Darwin's theory as 
"extreme political propaganda".

Or think of the Liberation theology in Latin America.  The former 
pope and many "oldschool" priests considered these ideas as 
extreme.

So you see, even within one religion, there is no common denominator 
in what is or is not extreme.

In the end, I think it's very difficult to bring software licenses 
and politics or religion together.  The only political think among 
the GPL is freedom -- as freedom is a very essential part in GPL.

For me, Kasper has two possibilities:

1. He releases T3 under the terms of the GPL and therefore giving
   the users the freedom to use T3 for whatever they want.  In that
   case he has no chance / no right to restrict this freedom
   afterwards, even if the software is used in a way he does not
   like.

2. He looks for some other license (or writes his own one), which
   would give him more control on how users will use the system.

Kasper decided to use the GPL.  And following that, it is very, very 
difficult to add some moral aspects to the license.  If he wants to 
-- and I can understand his motivation -- he should try to pick up 
the real essence of the GPL:  Freedom.

So the point is not to ask users to not use T3 for spreading 
"extreme political propaganda", but to not use it for things that 
might reduce freedom of others.  Freedom is linked to 
responsibility.  And Kasper (or we) can write an article, why he 
decided to use the GPL and appeal to the user to make use of 
his/her freedom and to take over the responsibility arising out of 
this freedom.  A responsibility every human being has, not only a 
Christian or a Muslim or a Buddhist.

I fear, that such an opinion might be considered extreme in some 
parts of this world ...


    Heiner

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