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IanKelling

120 karma · joined May 16, 2014

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IanKelling··on Ask HN: Who is hiring? (December 2018)
Free Software Foundation https://fsf.org | Program Manager | Boston | Full-Time, Onsite

This position develops and promotes longer-term resources and advocacy programs related to increasing the use of free software and expanding and advancing the free software movement. The program manager plays a key role in external communications, fundraising, member engagement, and special events.

https://www.fsf.org/news/fsf-job-opportunity-program-manager

IanKelling··on Ask HN: Who is hiring? (December 2018)
Free Software Foundation https://fsf.org | Web Developer | Boston | Full-Time

Join us in our worldwide mission to protect and expand computer user freedom. I'd be on your team. I've worked at startups and big co, and this is the best place I've been yet.

https://www.fsf.org/news/fsf-job-opportunity-web-developer-1

IanKelling··on Ask HN: Who is hiring? (August 2018)
Free Software Foundation | Boston, MA | Copyright and Licensing Associate, Business Operations Manager | Onsite | Full-time

The Free Software Foundation (FSF), is a Massachusetts 501(c)(3) charity with a worldwide mission to protect and promote computer user freedom.

These positions are not the typical ones posted on HN. If you have a passion for software freedom and think you are capable, I encourage you to apply. I'm a sysadmin at FSF, and I know I'd enjoy working in either of these positions. Of course, for the good of free software, share this posting with your friends.

The Copyright and Licensing Associate works as part of our licensing and compliance team to protect and promote the use of freely licensed works of software and documentation. For over twenty years, the FSF's Licensing and Compliance Lab has been the preeminent community resource for information about free licensing. From enforcement of the GNU General Public License, to certifying software and devices as fully free, to the writing and distribution of licensing-related educational materials, the team does work vital for the free software movement. More info at https://www.fsf.org/news/fsf-job-opportunity-copyright-and-l...

The Business Operations Manager works as part of our operations team to ensure the organization's financial, human resources, and administrative functions run smoothly and in compliance with all legal and policy requirements. More info at https://www.fsf.org/news/fsf-job-opportunity-business-operat...

IanKelling··on Ask HN: Who is hiring? (May 2018)
Free Software Foundation | Contract opportunity: JavaScript Developer for GNU LibreJS | full-time | remote

Join us in our worldwide mission to protect computer user freedom.

https://www.fsf.org/news/contract-opportunity-javascript-dev...

IanKelling··on Explaining React's license
> better using

I meant to write "better than using." Also, I was not aware of the implied patent license argument.

IanKelling··on Explaining React's license
I see. Thanks for the information.
IanKelling··on Explaining React's license
Fair enough. And my point about why Apache avoids stronger licenses actually applies to google too, but they are just more flexible about it on a case by case basis.
IanKelling··on Explaining React's license
Fair enough.
IanKelling··on Explaining React's license
Edit: afaik, implicit patent license for free software licenses are unproven in court. It's an interesting idea, and I actually hope it's the case that everyone is getting an implied patent license that will hold up in court. Thanks for the information, I wish I had incorporated it in my original comment.
IanKelling··on Explaining React's license
> Once their is an explicit grant, any implicit grant you would have gotten is extinguished.

Citation needed. And if you aren't planning to sue over software patents, then the author is clearly correct that this is strictly better than BSD/MIT alone.

IanKelling··on Explaining React's license
> multiple legal teams (Apache and Google, at least) don't want to entangle themselves with it.

Citation needed on Google. Apache isn't "not wanting to be entangled", they reject EVERY license which gives stronger protections for user freedoms than apache license alone, like the gpl, lgpl, cddl, mpl, etc, etc, etc. Google has no problem using the gpl for linux and lots of licenses and projects that apache would reject, so you can't just lump them together like it's the same thing.

IanKelling··on Explaining React's license
> I am frustrated with software with trivially incompatible licenses.

It's not a copyright license, and it's not incompatible with any other free software license. I'm frustrated with the misinformation spread about it.

If this patent license/grant get's revoked, you are back to simply using the BSD license with no patent grant. I've read so many people say "you'd have to stop using react if you sued facebook", uh, no, you'd have a bsd license with no patent grant like you probably do with tons of other free software your company uses. Clearly, people should be complaining about that if they are complaining about this, but the misunderstanding and misinformation is really strong. If you believe software patents are universally bad, like many people including me, then it is clearly better using the MIT/BSD license alone, which gives you zero patent rights, you are simply infringing and waiting to be sued. I have no problem with it. https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/software-patents.en.html.

IanKelling··on Explaining React's license
> if a project's license is radioactive

It's not a copyright license. It's a patent grant/license which is completely independent. This matters for several reasons, including when just saying "license", this usually means a copyright license.

If this patent grant get's revoked, you are back to simply using the BSD license with no patent grant. I've read so many people say "you'd have to stop using react if you sued facebook", uh, no, you'd have a bsd license with no patent grant like you probably do with tons of other free software your company uses. Clearly, people should be complaining about that if they are complaining about this, but the misunderstanding and misinformation is really strong. If you believe software patents are universally bad, like many people including me, then it is clearly better using the MIT/BSD license alone, which gives you zero patent rights, you are simply infringing and waiting to be sued. I have no problem with it. https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/software-patents.en.html.

IanKelling··on Essential Phone, available now
And without running proprietary javascript, their page displays no text. So, ya.
IanKelling··on Emacs and Magit
FSF assignments have had full digital support in every country since 11/2016. https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/fsf-now-offering-paperle...
IanKelling··on Emacs and Magit
FSF assignments have had full digital support in every country and very fast since 11/2016. https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/fsf-now-offering-paperle...

Sad to see this outdated info in the top comment.

IanKelling··on Why is the Internet so Slow?
CDF = cumulative distribution function

People who care about how fast the internet is are not the same set as people who know statistics acronyms, and they don't show up in a simple web search. You know how else we can make the internet better and faster? Publishing articles with software and licenses that make it easy for people to improve and share your article.

IanKelling··on I'm About as Good as Dead: The End of Xah Lee
And he has now updated the post to clarify about paypal.
IanKelling··on I'm About as Good as Dead: The End of Xah Lee
He was unemployed by choice, not incompatibility. I know he has written quite a bit of good emacs documentation and elisp code, and just that is worth donating for to me.
IanKelling··on I'm About as Good as Dead: The End of Xah Lee
I just spoke to Xah on the phone. He does want people to donate to his paypal address. He can transfer it to someone to cash it out if needed. He will be making further updates on his site, probably later today to be clear about that. He will be looking into bitcoin also. So feel free to donate, I think at least his contributions to emacs documentation make it worthwhile.