GNU/GPL licence category too vague
Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 6:21 am
Hi
Like many (most) people, I have come to associate GNU/GPL with free as in "no money". The recent clarification of Joomla's licence scenarios for extensions has seen a growing trend towards GNU/GPL extensions that require a site subscription or club membership for download.
I don't wish to start a debate around the logic, ethics or legality of such an arrangement.
However, the fact that all GNU/GPL extensions are lumped together makes the search for truly free extensions that much more difficult. For example:
1. The advanced search criteria has just GPL, without cost details
2. So does the summary results
It's only when you drill down to the individual extension detail screen that you see an editor's note regarding subscription.
Proposal:
GNU/GPL free access
GNU/GPL paid access
Waddayathink?
Brendon
Like many (most) people, I have come to associate GNU/GPL with free as in "no money". The recent clarification of Joomla's licence scenarios for extensions has seen a growing trend towards GNU/GPL extensions that require a site subscription or club membership for download.
I don't wish to start a debate around the logic, ethics or legality of such an arrangement.
However, the fact that all GNU/GPL extensions are lumped together makes the search for truly free extensions that much more difficult. For example:
1. The advanced search criteria has just GPL, without cost details
2. So does the summary results
It's only when you drill down to the individual extension detail screen that you see an editor's note regarding subscription.
Proposal:
GNU/GPL free access
GNU/GPL paid access
Waddayathink?
Brendon