Software is like sex: it's better when it's free.
Software patents are a huge potential threat to the ability of people to work together on open source. Making it easier for companies and communities that have patents to make those patents available in a common pool for people to use is one way to try to help developers deal with the threat.
One of the questions I've always hated answering is how do people make money in open source. And I think that Caldera and Red Hat -- and there are a number of other Linux companies going public -- basically show that yes, you can actually make money in the open-source area. When it comes to software, I much prefer free software, because I have very seldom seen a program that has worked well enough for my needs, and having sources available can be a lifesaver.
It just makes it even harder for people to even approach the (open source) side, when they then end up having to worry about ... public humiliation.
Quotations
Linus Torvalds
Anybody who tells me I can't use a program because it's not open source, go suck on rms. I'm not interested. 99% of that I run tends to be open source, but that's _my_ choice, dammit. I'm doing a free operating system just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu for 386 (486) AT clones. People disagree with me. I just ignore them.
Source of Quotes: http://www.junauza.com/2008/09/15-great-quotes-from-torvalds-and.html
The Project Storyboard. Dr. Rod King, 2008. rodkuhnking@sbcglobal.net http://projectstoryboard.ning.com