undefined | Better HN

0 pointsmarcinzm4y ago0 comments

An extreme example since you asked a very absolute question:

I sell software to the Chinese government to track down dissidents and kill them with drones. I release a lot of code under a GPL license and use the funds to promote OSS software. Most people wouldn't consider this a positive for the world even though more GPL software is created. Or in other words many people do not believe that "the ends justify the means" is a valid reason for something.

0 comments

simondotau4y ago

You described multiple distinct events. The killing of people was the bad thing. The releasing of code under the GPL is at most a neutral thing.

marcinzmOP4y ago

They are not distinct, stopping the former would also stop the latter, as such they are linked.

simondotau4y ago

Using the same logic, you can come to the opposite conclusion.

They are distinct, stopping the latter would not stop the former, as such they are not linked.

Let me try saying this another way. Tell your story again but where the decision to be involved in open source software was not made. Was the sum total of badness injected into this world quantifiably less?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsmarcinzm4y ago0 comments

An extreme example since you asked a very absolute question:

0 comments

simondotau4y ago

You described multiple distinct events. The killing of people was the bad thing. The releasing of code under the GPL is at most a neutral thing.

marcinzmOP4y ago

They are not distinct, stopping the former would also stop the latter, as such they are linked.

simondotau4y ago

Using the same logic, you can come to the opposite conclusion.

They are distinct, stopping the latter would not stop the former, as such they are not linked.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse