🚀 go-pugleaf

Someone recently sent a message arguing that if we boycott Apple, we
must also boycott Microsoft because MS-DOS is not fully documented,
and AT&T because of their backing-store patent.  However, this would
lead to boycotting everyone, which is absurd.  This is supposed to
prove that it is absurd to boycott anyone.

The first flaw in this line of argument is that the decision of who
to boycott is a tactical one.  It is never valid to argue that "if
you boycott X, you should also boycott Y".

Another flaw is that this argument assumes that all obnoxious
activities are equally bad.  It is based on seeing the world as pure
black and white, with no gray.  I don't see the world that way.

When Microsoft fails to document MS-DOG properly, that may be
unfriendly, but it isn't a terribile threat.  Anybody can avoid being
inconvenienced, simply by not dealing with MS-DOG.  There's no need to
start a fight with Microsoft about this.

Boycott AT&T?  Perhaps.  Perhaps it would make sense to boycott AT&T
if they file suit.  However, the best way to boycott them would be in
their hardware and their long-distance service.  To boycott Unix would
be self-defeating because it leaves too little alternative.  (The
boycott of Apple does not have this problem; there are plenty of
alternatives we aren't boycotting.)

Finally, it was suggested that we would do better to support Apple
machines and let the market beat a path to our door.

That was the plan I started with.  **Apple is trying to make this
illegal**.  The whole point of their lawsuit is to stop people from
writing desktop systems.  If we want to be *allowed* to write software
and let the market choose, we have to fight for our freedom to do so.
That's what the boycott is for.

We are still free to do certain things.  We are free to support GCC on
the Macintosh if we want.  But, supposing we do, and supposing the
users love it and flock to it, that won't do anything to protect our
freedom to write a desktop system.  Even if we convince lots of Mac
users that a free compiler is wonderful, it won't influence Sculley.
  
The GNU system must have all the features users expect in a system,
including a desktop, in order to succeed.  If any important component
is made illegal, the GNU project fails, and all the work done on it
becomes a waste.