One way or another, they are going to be working against what I believe SAFE stands for.
This is just the thing. What exactly does SAFE stand for? Or rather, what exactly is the purpose of MaidSafe? I believe the core purpose of MaidSafe is on the front page of the website:
a fully decentralized platform on which application developers can build
decentralized applications. The network is made up by individual users
who contribute storage, computing power and bandwidth to form a
world-wide autonomous system.
THAT is the real mission and purpose of MaidSafe. Let’s look at the worry that @dirvine has of Microsoft or Apple implementing their own decentralized network. The real issue is Microsoft or Apple taking on the idea of MaidSafe, not the actual MaidSafe code. Let’s face the truth that I think we can all agree with: Microsoft, Apple, Google, and the like, all have more than enough resources available to code their own implementation of a decentralized network, in a much smaller timeframe. You’ve already put the idea out there, and it’s for everyone to do what they want with it, and those with the resources will do it, whether they use your codebase or not.
So let’s look at the facts:
- A large competitor like Apple can create their own closed-source network if they really wanted to.
- Even smaller private companies can and will take your code and use it illegally, and they can do this because they will make it closed source.
- If the above statements are true, then the effectiveness of the GPL is minimal at best, naught at worst.
- If the above statements are true, and the GPL license is implemented, then its only purpose is to “send a message” about freedom. Its actual purpose will not be actualized.
This may be delving more into the realm of philosophy, but I really do feel that the world moves forward in its evolution from acts of free will, and never through coersion, whether political, religious, or what have you. We all want to “push” the evolution of mankind through the use of force, such as pushing for social laws that we believe are moral, but the fact is, humans will only become moral when they want to be. A religious christian/muslim/jew will never get people to do what they do by forcing it down others’ throats. But, people will become christian/muslim/jewish if they choose to be.
So that begs the question: if not by force, how do we change the world, how do we make it evolve faster towards our ideals? The answer is simple: spreading the ideas freely, and doing that by being the change you want to see. Unfortunately, as much as we want there to be, there are no shortcuts. Humanity must evolve at its own pace.
A Buddhist that wants to spread peace and love can do so only by himself portraying peace and love; by making others gravitate to him and think “wow, I want to be like that man; he looks peaceful and happy.” That is the true way.
My personal suggestion: let anyone use the MaidSafe code for any reason. If it becomes wildly successful (and it certainly has the potential to be!), you will have shown the world what it is like and how to be a) 100% open source b) crowdfunded and c) extremely profitable at the same time. What can be more powerful than that? You will do more for the push for open source than any license ever could, and it wouldn’t be at the cost of alienating other open source projects due to personal beliefs. It’ll be a win-win for everybody.
Cheers