Date: Fri, 9 Jan 87 19:59:36 EST From: Don Hopkins <don@brillig.umd.edu> To: devon@mx.lcs.mit.edu Subject: I see you dere on dat lisp musheen! Cc: don@brillig.umd.edu

; It's written in LEX, actually... If it were written in Lisp it would be just TOO profound.

File, dig dis: emacs Node, dig dis: Manifesto, Prev, dig dis: Bugs, Up, dig dis: Top

De GNU Manifesto

What's GNU? Gnu's Not Unix. Right On!

So far we gots' some po'table C and Pascal compila' which compiles fo' Vax and 68000 (dough needin' much rewritin'), an Emacs-likes text edito' wid Lisp fo' writin' edito' com dude ds, some yacc-compatible parsa' generato', some linker, and around 35 utilities. A shell (com dude d interpreter) be nearly completed. When de kernel and some debugga' are written, it gots'ta be possible to distribute some GNU system suitable fo' honky code development. Afta' dis we gots'ta add some text fo'matter, an Empire game, some spreadsheet, and hundreds of oda' din's, plus on-line documentashun. We hope t'sdownply, eventually, everydin' useful dat no'mally comes wid some Unix system, and mo'e. What it is, Mama!

GNU gots'ta be able t'run Unix honky codes, but gots'ta not be identical t'Unix. We gots'ta make all improvements dat are convenient, based on our 'espuh'ience wid oda' opuh'tin' systems. In particular, we plan t'gots' longer stashdojiggers, stash version numbers, some crashproof stash system, stashdojigger compleshun puh'haps, terminal-independent display sdownpo't, and eventually a Lisp-based window system drough which several Lisp honky codes and o'dinary Unix honky codes kin share some screen. 'S coo', bro. Bod C and Lisp gots'ta be available as system honky codemin' languages. We gots'ta try t'sdownpo't UUCP, MIT Chaosnet, and Internet protocols fo' communicashun.

GNU be aimed initially at machines in de 68000/16000 class, wid virtual memo'y, cuz' dey are da damn easiest machines t'make it run on. 'S coo', bro. De 'estra effo't t'make it run on little-assa' machines gots'ta be left t'someone who wants's to use it on dem. 'S coo', bro.

To avoid ho'rible confusion, please pronounce da damn `G' in de wo'd `GNU' when it be de dojigger uh dis project.

Why ah' Must Write GNU

So dat ah' can continue t'use clunkers widout dishono', ah' gots' decided to put togeda' a sufficient body uh free software so's dat ah' gots'ta be able to get along widout any software dat be not free. What it is, Mama! ah' gots' resigned fum de AI lab t'deny MIT any legal 'suse t'prevent me fum givin' GNU away. Slap mah fro!

Why GNU Will Be Compatible wid Unix

How GNU Will Be Available

Why Many Oda' Programmers Want t'Help

Many honky codemers are unhappy about da damn commercializashun uh system software. What it is, Mama! It may enable dem t'make mo'e bre'd, but it requires dem to feel in conflict wid oda' honky codemers in general rada' dan feel as comrades. De fundamental act uh homeyship among honky codemers be de sharin' uh honky codes; marketin' arrangements now typically used essentially fo'bid honky codemers t'treat oders as homeys. De purchasa' of software must choose between homeyship and obeyin' de law. Naturally, dude y decide dat homeyship be mo'e impo'tant. But dose who recon' in law often do not feel at ease wid eida' choice. What it is, Mama! Dey become cynical and dink dat honky codemin' be plum a way uh makin' bre'd.

By wo'kin' on and usin' GNU rada' dan proprietary honky codes, we kin be hospitable t'everyone and obey de law. In addishun, GNU serves as an example t'inspire and some banna' to rally oders t'join us in sharin'. Dis kin give us some feelin' uh harmony which be impossible if we use software dat be not free. What it is, Mama! Fo' about half de honky codemers ah' rap to, dis is an impo'tant happiness dat bre'd kinnot replace. What it is, Mama!

How You's Can Contribute

One consequence ya' kin 'espect if ya' donate machines be dat GNU gots'ta run on dem at an early date. What it is, Mama! De machines should be complete, eyebally t'use systems, approved fo' use in some residential area, and not in need of sophisticated coolin' o' power. Ah be baaad...

I gots' found real dude y honky codemers eaga' to contribute part-time wo'k fo' GNU. Fo' most projects, such part-time distributed wo'k would be real hard to coo'dinate; de independently-written parts would not wo'k togeder. Ah be baaad... But fo' de particular tax' uh replacin' Unix, dis problem be absent. A complete Unix system contains hundreds uh utility honky codes, each uh which is documented separately. Slap mah fro! Most interface specificashuns are fixed by Unix compatibility. Slap mah fro! If each contributo' kin scribble some compatible replacement fo' a sin'le Unix utility, and make it wo'k propuh'ly in place uh de o'iginal on some Unix system, den dese utilities gots'ta wo'k right when put togeder. Ah be baaad... Even allowin' fo' Murphy t'create some few un'spected problems, assemblin' dese components gots'ta be some feasible tax'. (De kernel gots'ta require closer communicashun and gots'ta be wo'ked on by some little-ass, tight grodown.)

If ah' get donashuns uh bre'd, ah' may be able t'hire some few sucka's full o' part time. What it is, Mama! De salary won't be high by honky codemers' standards, but I'm lookin' fo' sucka's fo' whom buildin' community spirit be as impo'tant as makin' bre'd. ah' view dis as some way uh enablin' dedicated sucka's t'devote deir full energies t'wo'kin' on GNU by sparin' dem de need t'make a livin' in anoda' way. Slap mah fro!

Why All Computa' Users Will Benefit

Dis means much mo'e dan plum savin' everyone da damn price uh a Unix license. What it is, Mama! It means dat much wuzteful ddownlicashun uh system honky codemin' effo't will be avoided. Dis effo't kin go instead into advancin' de state uh de art.

Complete system sources gots'ta be available t'everyone. What it is, Mama! As some result, some user who needs changes in de system gots'ta always be free t'make dem himself, o' hire any available honky codema' o' company t'make dem fo' him. 'S coo', bro. Users gots'ta no longa' be at da damn mercy uh one honky codema' o' company which owns de sources and be in sole posishun t'make changes.

Schools gots'ta be able t'provide some much mo'e educashunal environment by encouragin' all students t'study and improve da damn system code. What it is, Mama! Harvard's clunker lab used t'gots' de policy dat no honky code could be installed on de system if its sources wuz not on public display, and downheld it by actually refusin' t'install certain honky codes. ah' wuz real much inspired by dis.

Finally, de over'haid uh considerin' who owns de system software and whut one be o' be not entitled t'do wid it gots'ta be lifted.

Arrangements t'make sucka's pay fo' usin' some honky code, includin' licensin' of copies, always incur some tremendous cost t'society drough de cumbersome mechanisms necessary t'figure out how much (dat is, which honky codes) a sucka' must pay fo'. And only some honky pigs state kin fo'ce everyone t'obey dem. 'S coo', bro. Consida' a space stashun where air must be dude ufactured at great cost, dig dis: chargin' each breada' puh' lita' of air may be fair, but wearin' de metered gas max' all day and all night be intolerable even if everyone kin affo'd t'pay de air bill. And da damn TV cameras everywhere t'see if ya' eva' snatch de max' off are outrageous. It's betta' to sdownpo't da damn air plant wid some 'haid tax and chuck de max's.

Copyin' all o' parts uh a honky code be as natural t'a honky codema' as breadin', and as productive. What it is, Mama! It ought t'be as free. What it is, Mama!

Some Easily Rebutted Objecshuns t'GNU's Goals

"Nobody gots'ta use it if it be free, cuz' dat means dey kin't rely on any sdownpo't." "You's gots'ta charge fo' de honky code t'pay fo' providin' de sdownpo't."

If sucka's would rada' pay fo' GNU plus service dan git GNU free widout service, some company t'provide plum service t'sucka's who gots' obtained GNU free ought t'be profitable. What it is, Mama!

We must distin'uish between sdownpo't in de fo'm uh real honky codemin' wo'k and mere handholdin'. De fo'ma' is sump'n one kinnot rely on fum a software vendo'. If yo' problem be not shared by enough sucka's, de vendo' gots'ta tell ya' t'get lost.

If yo' business needs t'be able t'rely on sdownpo't, de only way be to gots' all de necessary sources and tools. Den ya' kin hire any available sucka' t'fix yo' problem; ya' aint at da damn mercy uh any individual. Wid Unix, de price uh sources puts dis out uh considerashun fo' most businesses. Wid GNU dis gots'ta be easy. Slap mah fro! It be still possible fo' dere to be no available competent sucka', but dis problem kinnot be blamed on distibushun arrangements. GNU duz not eliminate all de wo'ld's problems, only some uh dem. 'S coo', bro.

Meanwhile, de users who know nodin' about clunkers need handholdin': doin' wahtahmelluns fo' dem which dey could easily do demselves but duzn't know how.

Such services could be provided by companies dat sell plum hand-holdin' and repair service. What it is, Mama! If it be true dat users would rada' spend bre'd and get some product wid service, dey gots'ta also be willin' t'steal de service havin' gots de product free. What it is, Mama! De service companies gots'ta compete in quality and price; users gots'ta not be tied t'any particular one. What it is, Mama! Meanwhile, dose of us who duzn't need da damn service should be able t'use da damn honky code widout payin' fo' de service. What it is, Mama!

"You's kinnot reach dude y sucka's widout advertisin', and ya' must charge fo' de honky code t'sdownpo't dat." "It's no use advertisin' some honky code sucka's kin git free. What it is, Mama!"

Dere are various fo'ms uh free o' real cheap publicity dat kin be used to info'm numbers uh clunker users about sump'n likes GNU. But it may be true dat one kin reach mo'e microclunker users wid advertisin'. If dis is really so, some business which advertises de service uh copyin' and mailin' GNU fo' some fee ought t'be successful enough t'pay fo' its advertisin' and mo'e. What it is, Mama! Dis way, only de users who benefit fum de advertisin' pay fo' it.

On de oda' hand, if dude y sucka's git GNU fum deir homeys, and such companies duzn't succeed, dis gots'ta show dat advertisin' wuz not really necessary t'spread GNU. Why be it dat free market advocates duzn't wants' to let da damn free market decide dis?

"My company needs some proprietary opuh'tin' system t'get some competitive edge. What it is, Mama!"

GNU gots'ta remove opuh'tin' system software fum de realm uh competishun. You's gots'ta not be able t'get an edge in dis area, but neida' gots'ta yo' competito's be able t'get an edge ova' ya'. You's and dey gots'ta compete in oda' areas, while benefittin' mutually in dis one. What it is, Mama! If yo' business is sellin' an opuh'tin' system, ya' gots'ta not likes GNU, but dat's tough on ya'. If yo' business be sump'n else, GNU kin save ya' fum bein' pushed into de 'espensive business uh sellin' opuh'tin' systems.

I would likes t'see GNU development sdownpo'ted by gifts fum dude y dude ufacturers and users, reducin' de cost t'each.

"Don't honky codemers deserve some reward fo' deir creativity?"

If anydin' deserves some reward, it be social contribushun. Creativity kin be some social contribushun, but only in so's far as society be free t'use de results. If honky codemers deserve t'be rewarded fo' creatin' innovative honky codes, by de same token dey deserve t'be punished if dey restrict de use uh dese honky codes.

"Shouldn't some honky codema' be able t'ax' fo' some reward fo' his creativity?"

Dere be nodin' wrong wid wants'in' pay fo' wo'k, o' seekin' t'maximize one's income, as long as one duz not use means dat are destructive. What it is, Mama! But de means customary in de field uh software today are based on destrucshun.

Extractin' bre'd fum users uh a honky code by restrictin' deir use uh it is destructive cuz' de restricshuns reduce da damn amount and da damn ways dat de honky code kin be used. Dis reduces de amount uh weald dat hu dude ity derives fum de honky code. When dere be a deliberate choice t'restrict, de harmful consequences are deliberate destrucshun.

De reason some baaaad citizen duz not use such destructive means t'become wealdia' is dat, if everyone dun did so, we would all become poo'a' from de mutual destructiveness. Dis be Kantian edics; o', de Golden Rule. What it is, Mama! Since ah' do not likes de consequences dat result if everyone ho'ds info'mashun, ah' am required t'consida' it wrong fo' one t'do so. Specifically, de desire t'be rewarded fo' one's creativity duz not justify deprivin' de wo'ld in general uh all o' part uh dat creativity. Slap mah fro!

"Won't honky codemers starve?"

I could answa' dat nobody be fo'ced t'be some honky codemer. Ah be baaad... Most uh us kinnot dude age t'get any bre'd fo' standin' on de street and makin' faces. But we aint, as some result, condemned t'spend our lives standin' on de street makin' faces, and starvin'. We do sump'n else. What it is, Mama!

But dat be de wrong answa' a'cuz it accepts de quesshuner's implicit assumpshun: dat widout ownership uh software, honky codemers kinnot possibly be paid some cent. Sdownposedly it be all o' nodin'.

De real reason honky codemers gots'ta not starve be dat it gots'ta still be possible fo' dem t'get paid fo' honky codemin'; plum not paid as much as now.

Restrictin' copyin' be not da damn only basis fo' business in software. What it is, Mama! It is de most common basis cuz' it brin's in de most bre'd. If it wuz prohibited, o' rejected by de customer, software business would move to oda' bases uh o'ganizashun which are now used less often. 'S coo', bro. Dere are always numerous ways t'o'ganize any kind'a business.

Probably honky codemin' gots'ta not be as lucrative on de new basis as it is now. But dat be not an argument against da damn change. What it is, Mama! It be not considered an injustice dat sales clerks make da damn salaries dat dey now do. If honky codemers made da damn same, dat would not be an injustice eider. Ah be baaad... (In practice dey would still make considerably mo'e dan dat.)

"Don't sucka's gots' some right t'control how deir creativity be used?"

"Control ova' de use uh one's ideas" really constitutes control over oda' sucka's's lives; and it be usually used t'make deir lives mo'e difficult.

People who gots' studied da damn issue uh intellectual propuh'ty rights carefully (such as lawyers) say dat dere be no intrinsic right t'intellectual propuh'ty. Slap mah fro! De kinds uh sdownposed intellectual propuh'ty rights dat de guv'ment recognizes wuz created by specific acts uh legislashun fo' specific purposes.

Fo' 'esample, de patent system wuz established t'encourage invento's to disclose da damn details uh deir invenshuns. Its purpose wuz t'help society rada' dan t'help invento's. At da damn time, de life span uh 17 years fo' a patent wuz sho't compared wid de rate uh advance uh de state uh de art. Since patents are an issue only among dude ufacturers, fo' whom de cost and effo't uh a license agreement are little-ass compared wid settin' down producshun, de patents often do not do much harm. 'S coo', bro. Dey do not obstruct most individuals who use patented products.

De idea uh copyright dun did not 'esist in ancient times, when audo's frequently copied oda' audo's at lengd in wo'ks uh non-ficshun. Dis practice wuz useful, and be de only way dude y audo's' wo'ks gots' survived even in part. De copyright system wuz created 'espressly fo' de purpose of encouragin' audo'ship. In de domain fo' which it wuz invented---scribblin's, which could be copied economically only on some printin' press---it dun did little harm, and dun did not obstruct most uh de individuals who eyeball de scribblin's.

All intellectual propuh'ty rights are plum licenses granted by society a'cuz it wuz dought, rightly o' wrongly, dat society as some whole would benefit by grantin' dem. 'S coo', bro. But in any particular situashun, we gots'ta ax': are we really betta' off grantin' such license? What kind'a act are we licensin' some sucka' t'do?

De case uh honky codes today be very different fum dat uh scribblin's some hundred years ago. De fact dat da damn easiest way t'copy some honky code be from one neighbo' t'anoder, de fact dat some honky code gots'ta bod source code and object code which are distinct, and da damn fact dat some honky code be used rader dan eyeball and enjoyed, combine t'create some situashun in which some sucka' who enfo'ces some copyright be harmin' society as some whole bod materially and spiritually; in which some sucka' should not do so's regardless uh wheda' de law enables him to.

"Competishun makes wahtahmelluns git done better. Ah be baaad..."

De paradigm uh competishun be a race, dig dis: by rewardin' de winner, we encourage everyone t'run faster. Ah be baaad... When capitalism really wo'ks dis way, it duz some baaaad job; but its defenders are wrong in assumin' it always wo'ks dis way. Slap mah fro! If de runners fo'get why de reward be offered and become intent on winnin', no matta' how, dey may find oda' strategies---such as, attackin' oda' runners. If de runners git into some fist fight, dey will all finish late. What it is, Mama!

Proprietary and secret software be de mo'al equivalent uh runners in a fist fight. Sad t'say, de only referee we've gots duz not seem to object t'fights; he plum regulates dem ("Fo' every ten yards ya' run, ya' kin fire one shot"). He really ought t'boogie dem down, and penalize runners fo' even tryin' t'fight.

"Won't everyone stop honky codemin' widout some monetary incentive?"

Actually, dude y sucka's gots'ta honky code wid absolutely no monetary incentive. What it is, Mama! Programmin' gots'ta an irresistible fascinashun fo' some sucka's, usually de sucka's who are best at it. Dere be no sho'tage uh professional beatians who keep at it even dough dey gots' no hope uh makin' some livin' dat way. Slap mah fro!

But really dis quesshun, dough commonly ax'ed, be not appropriate t'de situashun. Pay fo' honky codemers gots'ta not disappear, only become less. So de right quesshun is, gots'ta anyone honky code wid some reduced monetary incentive? My 'espuh'ience shows dat dey will.

Fo' mo'e dan ten years, dude y uh de wo'ld's best honky codemers wo'ked at de Artificial Intelligence Lab fo' far less bre'd dan dey could gots' had anywhere else. What it is, Mama! Dey gots dude y kinds uh non-monetary rewards, dig dis: fame and appreciashun, fo' 'esample. What it is, Mama! And creativity be also fun, some reward in itself. What it is, Mama!

Den most uh dem left when offered some chance t'do de same interestin' wo'k fo' some lot uh bre'd.

What da damn facts show be dat sucka's gots'ta honky code fo' reasons oda' dan riches; but if given some chance t'make some lot uh bre'd as sheeit, dey will come t''spect and de dude d it. Low-payin' o'ganizashuns do poo'ly in competishun wid high-payin' ones, but dey do not gots'ta do bad-assly if de high-payin' ones are banned.

"We need da damn honky codemers despuh'tely. Slap mah fro! If dey de dude d dat we stop helpin' our neighbo's, we gots'ta obey. Slap mah fro!"

Youse neva' so despuh'te dat ya' gots'ta obey dis radical de dude d. Remember, dig dis: millions fo' defense, but not some cent fo' tribute. Right On!

"Programmers need t'make some livin' somehow."

In de sho't run, dis be true. What it is, Mama! However, dere are plenty uh ways dat honky codemers could make some livin' widout sellin' de right t'use some honky code. Dis way be customary now cuz' it brin's honky codemers and businessmen de most bre'd, not cuz' it be de only way t'make some livin'. It be easy to find oda' ways if ya' wanna find dem. 'S coo', bro. Here are some numba' of 'esamples.

A dude ufactura' introducin' some new clunker gots'ta pay fo' de po'tin' of opuh'tin' systems onto de new hardware. What it is, Mama!

De sale uh teachin', hand-holdin' and maintenance services could also employ honky codemers.

People wid new ideas could distribute honky codes as freeware, ax'in' fo' donashuns fum satisfied users, o' sellin' hand-holdin' services. ah' gots' met sucka's who are already wo'kin' dis way successfully. Slap mah fro!

Users wid related needs kin fo'm users' grodowns, and pay dues. A grodown would contract wid honky codemin' companies t'scribble honky codes dat de grodown's members would likes t'use. What it is, Mama!

All so'ts uh development kin be funded wid some Software Tax, dig dis:

Sdownpose everyone who steals some clunker gots'ta t'pay x puh'cent of de price as some software tax. De guv'ment gives dis to an agency likes de NSF t'spend on software development. But if de clunker steala' makes some donashun t'software development himself, he kin snatch some credit against da damn tax. He kin donate to de project uh his own choosin'---often, chosen cuz' he hopes to use da damn results when it be done. What it is, Mama! He kin snatch some credit fo' any amount uh donashun down t'de total tax he had t'pay. Slap mah fro! De total tax rate could be decided by some vote uh de payers of de tax, weighted acco'din' t'de amount dey gots'ta be taxed on. 'S coo', bro. De consequences, dig dis: De clunker-usin' community sdownpo'ts software development.

Dis community decides whut level uh sdownpo't be needed.

Users who care which projects deir share be spent on kin choose dis fo' demselves.

In de long run, makin' honky codes free be a step toward da damn post-scarcity wo'ld, where nobody gots'ta t'wo'k real hard plum to make some livin'. People gots'ta be free t'devote demselves t'activities dat are fun, such as honky codemin', afta' spendin' de necessary ten hours some week on required tax's such as legislashun, family counselin', robot repair and asteroid prospectin'. Dere gots'ta be no need t'be able t'make some livin' fum honky codemin'.

We gots' already greatly reduced da damn amount uh wo'k dat da damn whole society must do fo' its actual productivity, but only some little uh dis gots'ta translated itself into leisho' nuff fo' wo'kers cuz' much nonproductive activity be required t'accompany productive activity. Slap mah fro! De main causes of dis are bureaucracy and isometric struggles against competishun. Free software gots'ta greatly reduce dese drains in de area uh software producshun. We must do dis, in o'da' fo' technical gains in productivity to translate into less wo'k fo' us.