And with Sun’s Java you will also have the same rights as everyone else using it. With the one exception of Sun itself and the licensees, and they are already giving it away to anyone. Really, I don’t see any significant argument here. Sure Sun will get some money for licensing the code. So what? How does that stop you from using the Java that has your fixes to get your work done and make your money?
[quote] And with Sun’s Java you will also have the same rights as everyone else using it. With the one exception of Sun itself and the licensees, and they are already giving it away to anyone. Really, I don’t see any significant argument here.
[/quote]
And if you want to really nitpick, this is the same case with GPL. Everybody has the exact same rights HOWEVER!, the copyright holder may choose to relicense the project to anything s/he likes.
Yes, till now its given away free for everyone. But what will be in 5 years?
Can anybody GUARANTEE me that Java will be available in 10 years as free as it is know. I don’t want to waste months of writing programs and beeing not able to continue further just because SUN decided not to give the runtime away for free - btw. even greater if I contributed code to the JRE, maybe I’ll get one free 
Everytime I come up with this argument, there are guys who try to block, like they want not think about bad-case scenarious. They close their eyes and hope the best. I don’t close my eyes and try to crate GNU/Classpath compatible programs…
lg Clemens
- You don’t believe it is free, so you’re not asking much
- Yes, I’ve already done that - as much as you can guarantee I won’t spontaneously combust between now and midnight tonight
Uh, going by your responses in this thread, maybe they actually patiently and cogently explained it to you but you stuck your fingers in your ears and said “I’m not listening” 
[quote]as much as you can guarantee I won’t spontaneously combust between now and midnight tonight
[/quote]
But IF that happens, it might have been better if you had put yourself under GPL before so that we can resurrect you from the ashes…
;D
Microsoft and Sun have been kissy kissy as of late.
Do you believe that ultimately Microsoft will buy Java if Sun goes bankrupt?
If they do, how would Java developers react over this? (I don’t mean emotional reaction)
This is a hypothetical situation btw.
if MS do ever purchase java, i guess u can say good bye to proper linux and mac support and hello too .net with java as its name!
however i do hope if they do go bankrupt that they either opensource it or hand it over to someone like IBM!
Goodbye to proper Mac and Linux support? That’s overly optimistic, in my opinion.
If Microsoft really did aquire Sun, I expect all JVM developers would be moved over to the .NET runtime and Java would be put under a “termination of support” plan that will cause most developers to switch to C# within one year.
Oh, and landfills for miles around will mysteriously become full of charcoal-and-blue hardware, and no one will claim responsibility…
Well, and thats the fear of many developers.
Not only MS, but there could be many companies that would buy SUN but are maybe not interrested in continuing java.
Many developers think in long-term, rather than now till midnight.
Its not funny if your whole software is worthless overnight!
lg Clemens
[quote]Its not funny if your whole software is worthless overnight!
[/quote]
But it is impossible for that to happen. If someone did take over control of Java, they can’t retroactively change the license terms for the Java we already have.
Of course they can:
-
Any jre license may be canceld because of patent issues. If any company wants to devinitivly kill java, they could buy sun, construct a patent-issue and all downloaded and installed jres are illegal!
-
If you download a JRE, SUN gives you a licenses to use this software. If SUN decides not to give free licenses away anymore, you are not allowed to install (even downloaded) versions of java on your customers’ PCs.
This could be even easier to archive for SUN if they would construct their patent issue -> all delivered java versions are illigal except those “fresh” bought from sun.
Thats life, go GNU
lg Clemens
GPL is also a license, you know, so your argument about patents kicking licenses’ asses holds for GPL as well.
God, who invited Stallman?
[quote]… blah blah blah… patent issues… Sun can revoke the license… whine whine whine…
[/quote]
Seriously, why do you even bother to get up in the morning? Clearly the end of the world is coming and we are all doomed… I will continue programming with Sun’s Java while I wait…