NVidia says no to request to release open source drivers, once again

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That's a twisted definition of "support"

It's not really surprising that nVidia doesn't get it, but
it is surprising that they are not even trying -- because
their competition is. ATI, who for years fed us the same
line about "intellectual property", is now actively
contributing to and working with the free software
community. They did it not by releasing the code for their
existing proprietary driver but by releasing specifications
and contributing to code development for a brand new free
driver. nVidia could do the same thing, and if they don't,
they'll be left behind by manufacturers that are working
with rather than against their customers.

nVidia's appeal to "intellectual property" is telling -- it
shows that they are intentionally distorting the issue by
tossing copyrights, patents, and trademarks into one
pot. These are all separate issues, and they could all be
solved separately in any transition to free software. Plenty
of other companies have figured this out.

nVidia doesn't "support" the community in any meaningful
sense. They actively work against the community to keep its
members divided and helpless, and dependent on nVidia. If
they actually supported the community, they would support
the freedom that made the existence of all this software
possible. The only reason they have a kernel that they can
shoehorn their driver into is because that kernel is freely
available. They should appreciate and reciprocate the
opportunities free software has provided for them, and take
advantage of the expertise that arises when people are
allowed to freely share work and knowledge amongst
themselves.

In the meantime, they can choose to keep their driver
proprietary, and we can choose to buy Intel and ATI instead.

Posted by: johnsu01   Posted on: 07/01/08  (Edited: 07/01/2008 @ 02:41) You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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