[Twisted-Python] Re: ANN: Twisted 0.16.0

[Itamar Shtull-Trauring]

Michal Wallace wrote:

> Okay, I see this was posted yesterday (April Fools day), but
> the site's still up today. 
> 
> Is this for real?

bin/twistd can load license files, yes. If you don't have one it prints 
a nice long error message (which I removed in CVS, so it won't be in 
0.16.1).

Glyph has some insane reason he wants it to be in (rumor has it a rogue 
Pavlovian has linked the registration form to a Certain Person's cage, 
giving him a food pellet every time someone registers. Try not to 
overfeed him.)

> If so, why? How can piracy be a problem for an open source
> project?  How does this licensing scheme prevent it? 

Well, let's quote one the BSA's latest press release:

"""
Washington, DC (March 21) ?In its ongoing effort to protect consumers 
from Internet software pirates and support a safe, secure and legal 
online community, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) announced that 
last month it executed three unannounced court-ordered seizures on 
individuals whom BSA investigated for selling unlicensed software out of 
their homes in Kentucky, Missouri and Pennsylvania. Under the 
supervision of the U.S. Marshals, BSA carried away computers, equipment 
and CDs used in the mail-order operations.

...

The following are helpful tips on safe shopping for software online:

  * Trust Your Instincts -- Whether it is being sold as new or used,
    if a price for software seems too good to be true, it probably is.

...
"""

Now, you wouldn't want any Sikrit PSU Agents showing up at your house, 
asking to see *your* Twisted license, and not being able to show one, 
now would you? And do you really trust a bunch of people giving away 
software for FREE?