Comments on: Cloud Computing: Richard Stallman calls us STUPID! (With respect, we don’t agree RMS!) http://lirneasia.net/2008/09/cloud-computing-richard-stallman-calls-us-stupid-with-respect-we-don%e2%80%99t-agree-rms/ LIRNEasia Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:15:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Chanuka Wattegama http://lirneasia.net/2008/09/cloud-computing-richard-stallman-calls-us-stupid-with-respect-we-don%e2%80%99t-agree-rms/comment-page-1/#comment-15891 Chanuka Wattegama Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:36:26 +0000 http://lirneasia.net/?p=2531#comment-15891 Thanks Sanjana for the link. I never said cloud computing is for everyone, and certainly LIRNEasia is not Coca Cola. We don’t have sleepless nights worrying competitors robbing our secret formulae. Thanks Sanjana for the link. I never said cloud computing is for everyone, and certainly LIRNEasia is not Coca Cola. We don’t have sleepless nights worrying competitors robbing our secret formulae.

]]> By: Sanjana Hattotuwa http://lirneasia.net/2008/09/cloud-computing-richard-stallman-calls-us-stupid-with-respect-we-don%e2%80%99t-agree-rms/comment-page-1/#comment-15886 Sanjana Hattotuwa Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:48:10 +0000 http://lirneasia.net/?p=2531#comment-15886 http://www.nytimes.com/external/venturebeat/2008/10/13/13venturebeat-the-cloud-isnt-for-everyone-99024.html is an interesting article in light of Chanuka's post. Sanjana http://www.nytimes.com/external/venturebeat/2008/10/13/13venturebeat-the-cloud-isnt-for-everyone-99024.html is an interesting article in light of Chanuka’s post.

Sanjana

]]> By: Chanuka Wattegama http://lirneasia.net/2008/09/cloud-computing-richard-stallman-calls-us-stupid-with-respect-we-don%e2%80%99t-agree-rms/comment-page-1/#comment-15791 Chanuka Wattegama Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:20:22 +0000 http://lirneasia.net/?p=2531#comment-15791 Hi Steve, Before I respond to specific issues let me assure I have nothing against FOSS or Open Source in principle. On the contrary, I am all for FOSS and sometime back tried even promoting it for Sri Lanka government with the support of my friends at IOSN then. I have also been a party that organized the well attended event on FOSS at WSIS 2005 – where RMS was a key speaker. That was my first physical encounter with RMS and yes, I was impressed by his dedication. I have the same respect for FOSS enthusiasts that I have for vegetarians. Both are noble causes but what I don’t like is either being imposed on others. I do not foresee a day everyone becoming a vegetarian. Ditto for FOSS or Open Source. Both are good models but too much to expect everyone to be converted. I guess if RMS is against cloud computing he should take it at a different level rather than calling the users stupid. What alternative he could offer? (say to the popular services by Google) Are there any FOSS alternatives to popular services he mentions? I am more than happy to shift if there are any. Hi Steve,

Before I respond to specific issues let me assure I have nothing against FOSS or Open Source in principle. On the contrary, I am all for FOSS and sometime back tried even promoting it for Sri Lanka government with the support of my friends at IOSN then. I have also been a party that organized the well attended event on FOSS at WSIS 2005 – where RMS was a key speaker. That was my first physical encounter with RMS and yes, I was impressed by his dedication.

I have the same respect for FOSS enthusiasts that I have for vegetarians. Both are noble causes but what I don’t like is either being imposed on others. I do not foresee a day everyone becoming a vegetarian. Ditto for FOSS or Open Source. Both are good models but too much to expect everyone to be converted.

I guess if RMS is against cloud computing he should take it at a different level rather than calling the users stupid. What alternative he could offer? (say to the popular services by Google) Are there any FOSS alternatives to popular services he mentions? I am more than happy to shift if there are any.

]]> By: Steve Song http://lirneasia.net/2008/09/cloud-computing-richard-stallman-calls-us-stupid-with-respect-we-don%e2%80%99t-agree-rms/comment-page-1/#comment-15779 Steve Song Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:47:37 +0000 http://lirneasia.net/?p=2531#comment-15779 @Chanuka, your failure to grasp RMS's point and your knee-jerk reaction are almost as unfortunate as RMS's intemperate comments. What RMS is talking about the rise of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and the implications of that for vendor lock-in, competition, and open source software in general. This is a legitimate concern for an Internet whose success is based on open standards and the sharing of source code. Sadly this is poorly expressed by RMS. SaaS effectively creates a loophole for people using GPL software not to release their code modifications. This is a violation of the spirit of the GPL license. See Tim O'Reilly's comments and some discussion here: http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/07/the-gpl-and-sof-1.html Further you appear not to understand what cloud computing is. Cloud computing is the abstraction of applications from individual servers. Hosting your blog on Wordpress does not make you a "cloud" user. It makes you a SaaS subscriber. Cloud computing is inevitable as is SaaS but using free software without respecting the share-alike nature of the license will ultimately inhibit people from contributing to open source projects. @Chanuka, your failure to grasp RMS’s point and your knee-jerk reaction are almost as unfortunate as RMS’s intemperate comments. What RMS is talking about the rise of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and the implications of that for vendor lock-in, competition, and open source software in general. This is a legitimate concern for an Internet whose success is based on open standards and the sharing of source code. Sadly this is poorly expressed by RMS.

SaaS effectively creates a loophole for people using GPL software not to release their code modifications. This is a violation of the spirit of the GPL license. See Tim O’Reilly’s comments and some discussion here:
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/07/the-gpl-and-sof-1.html

Further you appear not to understand what cloud computing is. Cloud computing is the abstraction of applications from individual servers. Hosting your blog on Wordpress does not make you a “cloud” user. It makes you a SaaS subscriber.

Cloud computing is inevitable as is SaaS but using free software without respecting the share-alike nature of the license will ultimately inhibit people from contributing to open source projects.

]]> By: Chanuka Wattegama http://lirneasia.net/2008/09/cloud-computing-richard-stallman-calls-us-stupid-with-respect-we-don%e2%80%99t-agree-rms/comment-page-1/#comment-15582 Chanuka Wattegama Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:28:16 +0000 http://lirneasia.net/?p=2531#comment-15582 It looks like we are not alone. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10054718-16.html Hey, aren't anyone out there to defend RMS? It looks like we are not alone.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10054718-16.html

Hey, aren’t anyone out there to defend RMS?

]]>