>>I respect your position. I disagree with it categorically.
>>I can't tell you how strongly I disagree with such attitudes and positions. All such
>>positions are evil. They seek to increase self at the expense of others....
>Really? So let's follow that line of reasoning to it's conclusion:
>Do you make all of the work you do available online for free?

Everything I personally originate ... yes. Including the source code for my operating system that I spent about six years developing, the better part of two years exclusively. See: https://github.com/RickCHodgin/


>If so, really, ALL of it? Including work you do for customers?

Hired work is not my work. It's my labor they pay for, but the rights belong to that entity and they are responsible for how it is doled out. However, I have gotten permission from various clients to replicate the work I did for them (not to literally post the source code, but to produce similar products available as libre software), and I have had influences on migrating systems to Linux instead of Windows, in choosing MySQL over DB2, etc. I have moved toward these ends ... but businesses have a focus on money, and they aren't generally willing to sign on to the idea of "give your labor and products away for free." At least that's what I've encountered so far.


>If not, why? And do you think your reasoning is any less evil? If so, again, why?

You're picking at nits. And FWIW, this is a tactic of the enemy. His name is "Satan" for a reason (it used to be Lucifer, meaning "light bearer," but he is now called "Satan" because of what he does. The name means "accuser". He stands night and day before God accusing all of us here on Earth of every mistake we make (all our sin, all of our dirty laundry)).

I have tried to find a way to do all of my work for free. But the people of this world do not support it (because of that enemy's influence). This world is not currently geared for such endeavors. So, I am using all of my spare time to foster the Liberty Software Foundation and the ideas I espouse toward all of these ends. If you listen to this video beginning around 30 minutes in, you'll hear my explanation for this given last year: http://tinyurl.com/mfn8jer

I do this because I want a place where people can donate their time, talents, resources, unto others, as I have posted here. And the recipients of those donations can, of their own free will, donate back to the authors for the works they received. We give our work to them. They give back a donation to us (if they so desire). But even if they don't donate back, then we will still have given our work to them. I use the terms "we" and "our" here, but so far it's just me. No one else has signed on to the idea. It's an effort in progress, under way, not yet realized by others. But someday...

This is the only system I can think of that meets the criteria of a continuous outpouring of giving in all directions. No demanding. No taking. The freedom to share everything you possess with your neighbor. The freedom to obtain something from the Liberty Software Foundation, and not be bound by terms of use or end user license agreements which prohibit you from passing a copy on to your friends, family, co-workers, school mates. Everything I'm in pursuit of with everything in my life outside the necessities of life and living are toward these specific ends.

If you have a better method to achieve it, I'm happy to hear it out. I'm willing to leave my house, city, country even. I wrote a letter to Ecuador last October asking for assistance to finish my Visual FreePro project. I did this because of Ecuador's stance with Julian Assange, and Rafael Correa's movement toward creating the new/next Silicon Valley. I desire a small number of reasonable things:

(1) A place to live for me, my wife, my son.
(2) Food.
(3) The basics of life in support of writing software (this generally means access to transportation, electricity, a computer to write software, Internet).
(4) A place where my son can go to a Christian school, or be home schooled with other kids his age.

And I do not presently speak Spanish, but am willing to learn to have the opportunity to go to a growing nation like Ecuador, or Bolivia, and grow the people there into an economy which is based on helping each other, and not based on monetary ends.

I keep waiting for someone to send me an email saying, "Rick, we'd love for you to come and develop Visual FreePro for us." I offered to Ecuador to complete the Visual FreePro project and donate everything about it to the people of Ecuador, for example, that they would be able to have it for all of their citizens, that everyone would be able to use the platform without restriction under the terms of the repeat license (where it remains a free/libre/open source software project). I am still willing to do this.

The truth is ... I'm waiting. I keep pressing ahead and will continue to do so. I am waiting for the day someone says, "For the price of basic housing, basic necessities, a place to raise your son, come and write your software for a living..." I have a lot to offer people. And I am willing to offer it to everyone under the free/libre/open source license, that everyone can have all the source code, and be able to do anything they want with the software, so long as it always remains free and open.

Make sense?