Subject: Re: Yggdrasil and LDP
From: [email-masked] (Olaf Kirch)
To: Linux Documentation Project writers <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 1995 22:00:16 +0200 (MET DST)

My first reaction when reading Adam's announcement on c.o.l.a was ``what
the heck, it's his money he's spending.'' As Vince pointed out, we are
not the only people who might deserve some financial feedback from the
people who make money of Linux. In fact, our being the only ones to
receive direct donations from a vendor has always given me a slightly
uneasy feeling.  There are a lot of people who contributed to the
success of Linux who deserve some compensation much more than we do,
however big our personal contribution may have been. Therefore, I fully
welcome Adam's and Yggdrasil's decision to give the money to
developers. To make myself clear: I do not consider this blackmail.
Returning some of the money Yggdrasil is making out of Linux is a
honorable thing, and we should appreciate it, no matter whom they want
to give it to.

But: on a second thought, this announcement made me really furious. This
is the second time that Adam is trying to tell us what to do and what is
The Right Thing.  I still have Adam's posting to linux-doc in my
incoming folder, and meant to reply to it one day when my temper has
cooled off a little. Pity I haven't done so earlier.

I don't like being lectured, Adam, especially not on a public mailing list.
You sent out your first `proposal' without even *trying* to resolve the
issues you raise by personal email. I did not receive a single mail from
you concerning your desire to contribute to the development of the NAG.
Not one.

Even worse: you claim that you do not trust the LDP license because even
if an agreement was struck between Yggdrasil and the LDP authors about
the terms of modification, we might be revoking this permission from one
day to the next leaving you out in the rain. Care to explain yourself?

I may be wrong, but my current impressions is that you are playing
politics, nothing more.  You are trying to impose your views on us.
You may find the furor you created uncalled for, but you should not
forget: Linux is the achievement of volunteers, and we are proud of what
we have achieved. Putting Linux on CD-ROMs is a nice thing, and it sure
helps to spread Linux, but it doesn't entitle you to policing us.

Regards
Olaf
-- 
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