Re: Proposal for an Emacs User Survey

[Jean Louis]

* Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> [2020-10-17 07:19]:
> [[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider    ]]]
> [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies,     ]]]
> [[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]
> 
>   > > Imagine if free software repository would publish only software that
>   > > wraps around proprietary software, would that be free? So it is matter
>   > > of policy.
> 
>   > Incidentally, if Melpa agrees to your request to remove all packages
>   > wrapping around proprietary software, it will be a matter of days
>   > before such a repository appears.
> 
> To move all the recommendations of nonfree software
> OUT of Melpa, and into some other obscure new repository,
> would be a great step forward!  It would eliminate one
> of the reasons why currently we must not inform people about Melpa.

Author said yesterday or was it today, they are not interested to
impose a policy to remove questionable packages, issue is closed,
there is no discussion about that at MELPA.

Issue was:

To remove packages that guide users to non-free software or wrap
around proprietary software #7185

Answer by purcell maintainer was:

The MELPA maintainers already take some care to host only Emacs Lisp
packages with GPL or GPL-compatible licences. We are not aware of any
packages which are in legal violation of this compatibility, including
the packages you mention.

Beyond that, we respectfully decline to institute a policy as
proposed, and wish you all the best.

> If Melpa then were to eliminates the other reason, reported here
> today, that it requires use of nonfree software to contribute
> packages, and commits to stay on this path, that could make it
> possible for us to recommend Melpa!  That would be a big
> change for the better.

I don't think so, the answer is clear, they will allow GPLG or
GPL-compatible licenses without looking into purpose of the package,
such open policy allows inclusion of new packages that are meant only
to use, control proprietary software, or insecure remote websites, or
similar.