Answering Augusto…
A student named Augusto Pedroza posted a comment here recently, a comment containing such a large and complex question that I've decided to use this separate blog entry to answer it.
Augusto is a Google Summer of Code student, meaning he's working in an open source software project this summer. He says that as he reads more and more about patents, copyright, and open source, some questions arise in his mind. I think I know this feeling. After years of working in open source software, I too started asking myself "Hmmm, this open, freedom-based method of development seems to...