Re: [opengaim-users] Gaim v. OpenGaim

[Todd V. <tv...@du...>]

On Sat, 3 Apr 2004, Sean Egan wrote:

: The GPL grants users many rights, but it does not grant you the right to
: misrepresent a derivative project.  I and the other Gaim developers
: would appreciate it if you called your project something different.  I
: think that "OpenGaim" implies a non-existent association with Gaim.

There is an association insofar that sources are pollinated from the Gaim
project.  Calling it a name that includes the word "Gaim" is certainly
appropriate, as it is indeed a sibling, fork, child, or what-have-you of the
original Gaim project.

: Moreso, however, it implies that Gaim is somehow not "open."

This has not been my perception for at least the past year, as the
definitions of "open" to which I refer are the same as those originally
intended by the naming of OpenBSD:

===== M-W =====
open (adj) ...

5 : not restricted to a particular group or category of participants
    </open/ to the public> ...

10 a : characterized by ready accessibility and usually generous attitude:
       as (1) : generous in giving (2) : willing to hear and consider or to
       accept and deal with : [RESPONSIVE] ...
   b : accessible to the influx of new factors ...
===============

In these terms, I do in fact see some significant, tangible lack of
"open"-ness to Gaim itself in its developers' attitude toward various
enhancements and feature requests.  Thus the name is quite accurate in the
view of OpenGaim's primary author (me).

I also happen to be a long-term member of the NetBSD Foundation which
controls NetBSD.  OpenBSD, one of the more [in]famous forks of this type,
was forked off of NetBSD several years ago.  At the time, these same reasons
were quite descriptive:  many of the Original members of the NetBSD project
were slow or unreceptive to change.  Those still in the NetBSD project have
since become some of the most innovative folks in the OS industry.

You'll note that I did not call this project "FreeGaim".  I'm certainly
aware that Gaim itself is free source in the form defined by Stallman in the
GPL, as well as being monetarily free.

And finally, I'm not holding grudges against Gaim.  Creating OpenGaim may
well be an extended exercise in constructive criticism, but just remember
what is often said about imitation and flattery.

-- 
-- Todd Vierling <tv...@du...> <tv...@po...>