Re: The Yellow Brick Road

People may be wondering what happened to the licensing discussion. The
answer is that we are either going to transfer the license to a
PostgreSQL foundation, if one is ever created, or update our BSD license
to match the more modern BSD license used by FreeBSD.

> Reassurances notwithstanding, recent developments in the PostgreSQL
> community still concern me. I understand Tom would like to postpone
> this thread.
>
> > We wanted to postpone the discussion until Great Bridge was out in
> > the open and could allow Rusty Friddell, their counsel, to answer
> > questions about his suggestions directly. (And just to defuse any
> > fears beforehand, there will be no license changes without full
> > discussion and consensus from the pghackers community. This
> > decision is not core's to make, but the community's.)
> - Tom Lane
>
> I'm certainly interested in what Rusty has to say. But please don't ask
> the PostgreSQL community to stop discussing this issue until Great
> Bridge speaks. Sorry to sound cynical and jaded, but it seems an
> ominous portent that we should be asked to keep our mouths shut until
> Daddy Warbucks has his say.
>
> ---
>
> > Yes. BSD-style licensing is clearly more acceptable to businesses
> > than GPL-style, as the Postgres community understood all along. I
> > think GB's choice of Postgres as the database they wanted to work
> > with is not unrelated to that.
> - Tom Lane
>
> This is not clear at all. As evidenced by what? A more appropriate
> question may be: what side of the business equation are you talking
> about, the buyer or the seller? Great Bridge has indicated their intent
> to keep _all_ source they develop completely open:
>
> > We have no interest in any kind of proprietary fork. As far as code
> > goes, everything we write will go straight back into the open source
> > stew, for proper review by the Committed.
> - Ned Lilly
>
> I mean no offense to Ned, but while this statement sounds very
> reassuring, and I'm sure he's sincere, as far as the law is concerned,
> it has no legally binding significance whatsoever. That is what
> licenses and copyrights are for.
>
> So my question is: if you really mean what you say, why don't you
> release PostgreSQL under the GPL? The situation at hand is exactly the
> type of situation the GPL is intended to address - namely, to provide
> assurance to the community at large that nobody obtains proprietary
> ownership of source code.
>
> Because a BSD-style license is more acceptable to business? The only
> way I can see that a BSD-style license is more acceptable to business,
> is if that business wants to reserve the right to obtain proprietary
> ownership by simply extending the code. What other advantage is there?
>
> ---
>
> I'm also concerned about how recent developments may affect the
> PostgreSQL team financially. Core developers especially, but other
> contributers as well.
>
> > One thing we have agreed to is that there must not be an unseemly
> > fraction of core members working for the same company. With six
> > people on core, probably about two working at the same company would
> > be a reasonable limit.
> - Tom Lane
>
> What happens if a small fraction of the PostgreSQL team become
> disproportionatly wealthy? When a couple of team members show up at the
> annual PostgreSQL barbeque in new Lexus SUV's, and the rest rattle in in
> rusty station wagons? When some team members kids go to good private
> schools, and others are stuck in underperforming public school
> districts? When the kids' college is paid for, vs. being indebted for
> the rest of your life? When health care isn't an issue, vs. becoming an
> omnipresent concern? When taking care of your elderly parents is easy,
> vs. not even being able to afford a visit? You get the point.
>
> I don't really expect anyone to speak openly about their financial
> situation. It's really a private matter. But I can't help supposing
> that should such a financial disparity arise withing the PostgreSQL
> team, that it would have (unpleasant) repercussions.
>
> ---
>
> I am extremely grateful to all those who have made PostgreSQL the
> wonderful program that it is. In thanks, I feel like I'm pouring cold
> water on your head.
>
> I also mean no disrespect to Landmark. The weather channel has
> lubricated many a conversation between me and my Grandmother.
>
> I wish only the best to the PostgreSQL team, and to Landmark and it's
> subsidiaries.
>
> But whatever you do, please don't upset the dynamic that made PostgreSQL
> what it is today.
>
> -Ron Peterson-
>

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