[wp-hackers] WordPress and GPLv3

[Otto]

On 12/27/07, Roy Schestowitz <r at schestowitz.com> wrote:
> > At least, we can read it without a lawyer, unlike GPL3. I'm not pleased
> > to release something under a license that needs a FAQ: the license can
> > have legal value, but what about the FAQ?
>
> I cannot see what difference the version makes. As you may be aware,
> there is already a prominent page in the WordPress Codex about the GPL.
> The differences between versions 2 and 3 of the licence are highlighted
> in the Groklaw article which I cited earlier. The need for excessive
> consultation is part of the smear campaign which plagued the mainstream
> press.

Continually talking about some kind of "smear campaign" just makes the
GPLv3 advocates look even more foolish. I am quite capable of thinking
for myself, and I do not like the GPLv3 because I actually read the
damn thing and disagree with what it says. So please refrain from
being insulting, thank you very much.

> > Another interesting point - at least for me - is about community.
> > Why WordPress is stuck with php4 and mysql4
>
> That is an excellent, albeit an entirely separate question. It was
> discussed here many times in the past and back/forward compatibility in
> PHP  proves to be a bit of an issue.

Compatibility is indeed, very important. This is where the version
does indeed make a difference, because the GPLv2 is incompatible with
the GPLv3. Switching to the GPLv3 will suddenly invalidate a lot of
plugins licensed under GPLv2.

Furthermore, having WordPress under the GPLv3 would make it impossible
for me to ever write a plugin ever again, since there are no
circumstances under which I will ever release any GPLv3 code.

To be quite blunt about it, if WordPress went GPLv3, I'd either fork
it or I'd switch to somebody's else's forked version of WordPress that
remained under the GPLv2. Why? Because I like the code I use to be
free-as-in-speech, not free-as-in-socialism.

-Otto