Question

For this discussion I want to go back and review the GNU GPL. We should all be familiar with these concepts by now. Let's answer and discuss the following:

What part part of the hacker ethic does the GNU GPL most apply to? (Think of the elements of the hacker ethic as described by Levy.) Explain your answer.

Answer 1

For answering these type of questions one should be good with the history of softwares.

GNU is defined recyrsively as GNU's Not Unix. A OS and a set of softwares(free software) to be precise.

GNU GPL is GNU General Public License. Though it is free to use and also edit. It is OSI approved.

Now, let us define what is hacker ethic: Though it is just a term for the moral values, strict rules and philosophical ideas in hacker community, it is more than that the ethical hackers value for.

It mainly consistes of hacker ethic to consist of key points such as that all information is free, and that this information should be used to "change life for the better" by Steven Levy.

Coming to the part the hacker ethic that applies most to GNU GPL is Sharing. The GNU GPL's tag line itself describes the reason. "Free as in freedom" This makes more or less that All information should be free as all the softwares are available as free for the end users.

This helps in the hacker philosophy of Computers can change your life for the better as the information is free and open for use and also development which brings the larger volumes of users and also developers to discuss, draft and create the softwares required to solve the problemswhich eventually breaks down to "The computers changing life for the better".