Path: csiph.com!news.swapon.de!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!not-for-mail From: Michael Torrie Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Subject: Re: Question about math.pi is mutable Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2015 20:11:47 -0700 Lines: 30 Message-ID: References: <857flujwy7.fsf@benfinney.id.au> <5640B28C.6050408@rece.vub.ac.be> <858u66g39k.fsf@benfinney.id.au> <5641C0EC.8010905@rece.vub.ac.be> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: news.uni-berlin.de fPxgikyf76UHD3i1LbEhigSadUF7ursw2YtVACL+87Ag== Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.023 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.95; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:Question': 0.05; 'deny': 0.07; 'developer.': 0.07; 'obligated': 0.09; 'python': 0.10; 'python.': 0.11; 'anyway': 0.11; 'user.': 0.15; 'adult': 0.16; 'bounds': 0.16; 'freedoms': 0.16; 'from:addr:torriem': 0.16; 'from:name:michael torrie': 0.16; 'received:io': 0.16; 'received:psf.io': 0.16; 'sees': 0.16; 'whom?': 0.16; 'written.': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.16; 'library': 0.20; 'trying': 0.22; 'am,': 0.23; 'decide': 0.23; "python's": 0.23; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.24; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.26; 'restrict': 0.27; 'to?': 0.27; 'correct': 0.28; 'author,': 0.29; 'obliged': 0.29; 'code': 0.30; 'law.': 0.30; 'grants': 0.33; 'instead,': 0.33; 'message- id:@gmail.com': 0.34; 'attempt': 0.35; 'conditions.': 0.35; "isn't": 0.35; 'but': 0.36; 'there': 0.36; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.36; 'subject:: ': 0.37; 'received:org': 0.37; 'seem': 0.37; 'doing': 0.38; 'anything': 0.38; 'mean': 0.38; 'end': 0.39; 'means': 0.39; 'why': 0.39; 'does': 0.39; 'received:192': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.40; 'some': 0.40; 'him': 0.60; 'design,': 0.61; 'charset:windows-1252': 0.62; 'granted': 0.63; 'fit.': 0.66; 'vehicle': 0.66; 'legal': 0.66; 'treat': 0.72; 'power': 0.72; 'arranged.': 0.84; 'hardly': 0.84; 'inherent': 0.84; 'liberty': 0.84; 'pardon': 0.84; 'schreef': 0.84; 'kind.': 0.91 X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at torriefamily.org User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.7.0 In-Reply-To: <5641C0EC.8010905@rece.vub.ac.be> X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.20+ Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:98789 On 11/10/2015 03:03 AM, Antoon Pardon wrote: > Op 10-11-15 om 00:29 schreef Ben Finney: >> >> Who is doing what to whom? The user of the library isn't doing anything >> to the library author, so what is it the library author would consent >> to? Instead, you seem to be trying to assert a *power* of the library >> author to restrict the library user. Such a power is not granted by >> Python. > > Python is not at liberty to grant or deny such a power. Python is just > a vehicle in which code is written. The author of a library can restrict > its use anyway he sees fit. No he cannot, outside the bounds of copyright law. Why would you think otherwise? The only document that binds the end user in any way is the copyright license, unless some other formal contract has been arranged. >> Instead, the library author is obliged to treat the library user as an >> adult who consents to the freedoms inherent to Python's design, and to >> not restrict their use of the library needlessly. > > There is no such obligation. And if it was an obligation, you can hardly > talk about consenting. Consenting adults mean that either party can > decide on conditions. Once one party is obligated it is no longer consenting. You are correct there is no obligation, but nor does Python empower the library developer. He may attempt obfuscation or other means to control the use of his library of course, but only copyright grants him legal authority of any kind.