Having donated to what I thought was the BSD licensing of this, I'm pretty disappointed.
Given that the source files have a license-header which is standard 3-clause BSD (no extra Comments section), and in light of Dr. Tarver's recent statements[1] on the mailing list, I think it's clear that the license of Shen 17 is, in fact, 3-clause BSD without any extra terms or conditions.
So what we're looking at is a situation where some of us think that Dr. Tarver has expressed in a problematic way his misgivings about the GPL and his understanding of copyright law. Namely, by making the latter an addendum to the source distribution's license.pdf file, he is or may be causing confusion about Shen 17's license.
As a remedy, I would suggest we express our concerns on the mailing list in a constructive manner. Some of us have already done so.
[1] https://groups.google.com/d/msg/qilang/WLwJmlxtXSU/BUzjLtdmK...
The #1 thing I want to see is the community increase, and I'm entirely unsure that'll happen now (e.g. taking our money and doing this makes it personal). Especially to the extent the rule that for every person who complains N others silently agree and do the same thing.
You're probably right that this is the most effective thing to do.
On the other hand, it's hard to maintain enthusiasm for engaging with a community when you feel ever so slightly scammed. This is almost certainly an overreaction, but I wasn't really bought into the community anyway and donated because I wanted to see it flourish on principle. The reasons I donated are certainly compromised by this stunt and I almost certainly wouldn't have donated if I'd realised up front that it was BSD plus commentary that was being proposed.
Well exactly as promised. I hope people are happy. However now people have got the power they asked for, it is up to them to make the running with it. My role is now more of an observer and to maintain the sources and standards and printed documentation. What people do with Shen, where they take it, is now in the hands of the Shenturians. This means to a degree that people have to define and solve their own problems. My path resumes from where I left it when I returned from the edge of the Himalayas to build Shen.
Side note: no idea why at least two people would down vote all your contributions to this discussion....
ADDED: Just got back an email from Taver WRT to my refund request, denying the "it's modified BSD" claim, and a not unreasonable in the context of our communications, especially since I'd already decided to do it, request to "go away forever" (well, unless a flourishing Shen community develops within the next few years).
Perhaps my "with fire and sword" style stuck a nerve; my #1 and calmly stated point that this negated the whole premise of the campaign was quoted by at least one other person on the mailing list.
In the last couple of months, I made some unpopular comments on HN and since then have seen all of my comments, no matter the subject, receive a downvote or two some time during the wee hours (in US timezones). The intent is, obviously, to discourage my participation on HN in the face of steady karma loss. I am not discouraged, and in time perhaps my karma-detractors will tire of their little game.
We have a difference of opinion on a legal matter, where neither of us is a lawyer, let alone in the same exact legal system. I submit that doesn't rise to the level of "lying".
I finished closing the gap of the revised goal, since I think Shen is potentially very important for Lisp, so I'm not surprised, but still disappointed.
Needless to say requests for refunds are not being granted.
And his word not being good is another input into trying to interpret the license....