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You're buying a wrench. The checkout person says, "I hope you're not going to murder someone with this!" You say, "actually I am." The checker then refuses to sell you the wrench.

Freely provided software unifies the producer and distributor into one agent. That person has responsibility. The absolute minimum they are morally responsible for is restricting the uses of their product to ones they do not find morally objectionable.

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You're buying a wrench. The checkout clerk disappears in a cloud of sulfur and reappears as a demon. She tells you she will sell you the wrench, but if it's ever used for evil, your soul will be bound to her for eternity. She then holds up a virtually identical wrench and says "this one is fine, though, do whatever you want with it." You really just need it to tighten some fittings under your sink. Which wrench do you buy?

You're buying a wrench online. You add it to your cart. Dang, 5 day holding period while the manufacturer does a background check. Ugh, you need to fix your toilet. You head over to a hardware store and get a wrench. The checkout person jokes "I hope you're not going to murder someone with this!" You roll your eyes and say "ya got me!" and put your hands up like Walter White. The checkout person suddenly gets serious and refuses to sell you the wrench to legally cover the store's hide. You go to a second hardware store. This time you've learned your lesson. You buy the wrench without saying a word. You do not respond or interact with employees and you keep your purpose a secret. The End.

What an ideal world.

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