[sword-devel] Web Interface

[Derek Neighbors]

> I think this has been mentioned a few times before, but "Free Software"
>  isn't really part of CrossWire's goal.  Our use of GPL as a license is
> mostly the result of history and not having anything identifiably
> better.   The politics of Free Software are irrelevent to our mission
> and GPL is at times at odds with it.  The only three advantages that GPL
> has ever afforded The Sword Project are: brand-name recognition of a
> politically correct license, ability to be included in Debian, and
> Regexp code that came from GNU.

I didn't say anyting about the licensing if SWORD anywhere the post.  I
made a reference to the GPL to illustrate a point of what happens by
making choices that prevent you from incorporating reuse and mindshare. 
Perhaps I struck some chord with you and you couldn't read the argument
for what it was, but instead took it personal.

Let me try again.  If you owned a vehicle that only ran on diesel gasoline
you would be at a severe disadvantage (in America) because very few
service stations offer anything but different grades of unleaded.  So too
if you choose architectures that are a kin to 'diesel' you will have lots
less 'service stations' (contributors) at your disposal.  That doesn't
mean diesel is bad, it just might not be the right choice for consumer
cars in America.

> We already DO have to do nearly everything ourselves and what we don't
> we  can usually find under a considerably freer license like BSD.

Surely SWORD is a niche market and you will need to write a good deal
yourself, but there will be basics that are already done.

> Most people don't care about licensing politics.

Fair enough.

> I do.  I'll take the stability and constancy of a few well maintained
> hosts over masses of ineptly maintained sites that come and go on a
> monthly basis and display varying levels of quality.  We don't need a
> hundred dead links to Sword web front-ends hosted at ~username accounts.

I will drop the subject as you appear to get agitated way too quickly and
take things far too personally.  At which point discussions quickly break
down and become non productive.

-Derek
James 1:19