From: edguer@ces.cwru.edu (Aydin Edguer)
Subject: Re: Apple loses "look and feel" lawsuit (forwarded)
Organization: Computer Engineering and Science, Case Western Reserve University
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 92 00:22:05 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.235055.9417@uoft02.utoledo.edu> dsouth@uoft02.utoledo.edu (Dale Southard Jr.) writes:
[An article so sorely mixed up in terminology as to be almost meaningless]
> The Apple boycott fails to produce any hardships/lack of sales for Apple.
> In fact, the only people it inconveniences are the programmers (or at least
> those of use that are foolish enough to abide by GNU's boycott because we
> agree with the principle, if not the means).
...
> Not to mention that it makes GNU/LPF look more than a bit hypocritical (GNU --
> the "league for programming freedom as long as it is preformed on machines
> that we deem Politically Correct").
...
> Too bad, most of the Mac programmers I know would be more that
> willing to come down on GNU's side, if GNU would let them....

Arghh!  I know it has been said before but people just don't seem to get it.

The LPF is the League for Programming Freedom.
 The LPF produces no software.  The LPF is a "grass-roots organization of
 professors, students, businessmen, programmers and users dedicated to
 bringing back the freedom to write programs." "The League works to abolish
 the new monopolies by publishing articles, talking with public officials,
 boycotting egregious offenders, and in the future may intervene in court
 cases."  You can join the LPF by contributing money to the LPF.

The FSF is the Free Software Foundation.  The FSF is the non-profit
 organization which is working on the GNU project.  The FSF accepts
 donations of equipment and money and uses them to support a staff of
 people who develop the software and documentation for the GNU project
 and produce distribution tapes and manuals for people to purchase.
 You can join the staff of FSF getting hired by the FSF.  You cannot
 "join" the FSF, although you can become a contributor or supporter
 of the FSF.

GNU, which stands for Gnu's Not Unix, is the name for a complete
 Unix-compatible software system.  GNU is _not_ as organization.
 You cannot "join" GNU.  You can contribute software to the GNU project.
 You can use software from the GNU project.  You can even use the GNU
 Public License on your software without contributing your software to the
 GNU Project, but you cannot become a member of GNU.

GNU is not boycotting anyone.  It cannot because only people can boycott,
and GNU is not a person or group of people.

The FSF is boycotting Apple by not including Apple support in its releases
of GNU software.  The FSF supports the LPF position on Apple and thus
is one of many organizations to deny aid to "the enemy".

The LPF is boycotting Apple by not buying Apple products and by asking
others not to buy Apple products.  It is for programming freedom for
everyone including Apple.  Apple should feel free to use the ideas and
concepts from earlier projects like the Xerox Star but should not try
to prevent others from learning from Apple.

Please note that thanks to the very power of the GNU Public license,
support for GNU software on Apple systems is still available from other
organizations, thus Apple has not been "abandoned" by the GNU project.
However... if you support the LPF, the FSF, or the wishes of the conceiver
of the GNU project (Richard M. Stallman) you will not support or use
GNU project software on Apple systems.

Aydin Edguer