http://simonwillison.net/2025-04-25T20:40:26+00:00Simon Willison2025-04-25T20:40:26+00:002025-04-25T20:40:26+00:00https://simonwillison.net/2025/Apr/25/i-wrote-to-the-address/#atom-tag

<p><strong><a href="https://code.mendhak.com/gpl-v2-address-letter/">I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice and received the GPLv3 license</a></strong></p> Fun story from Mendhak who noticed that the GPLv2 license <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120105022925/https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.en.html">used to include</a> this in the footer:</p> <blockquote> <p><code>You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.</code></p> </blockquote> <p>So they wrote to the address (after hunting down the necessary pieces for a self-addressed envelope from the USA back to the UK) and five weeks later received a copy.</p> <p>(The copy was the GPLv3, but since they didn't actually specify GPLv2 in their request I don't think that's particularly notable.)</p> <p>The comments on Hacker News included <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43781888#43784538">this delightful note</a> from Davis Remmel:</p> <blockquote> <p>This is funny because I was the operations assistant (office secretary) at the time we received this letter, and I remember it because of the distinct postage.</p> </blockquote> <p>Someone asked "How many per day were you sending out?". <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43781888#43785749">The answer</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>On average, zero per day, maybe 5 to 10 per year.</p> </blockquote> <p>The FSF moved out of 51 Franklin Street in 2024, <a href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/fsf-office-closing-party">after 19 years in that location</a>. They work remotely now - their <a href="https://www.fsf.org/about/contact/mailing">new mailing address</a>, 31 Milk Street, # 960789, Boston, MA 02196, is a <a href="https://tools.usps.com/locations/details/1441502">USPS PO Box</a>. <p>Tags: <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/free-software-foundation">free-software-foundation</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/open-source">open-source</a></p>

2008-11-10T22:46:21+00:002008-11-10T22:46:21+00:00https://simonwillison.net/2008/Nov/10/license/#atom-tag

<p><strong><a href="http://fishbowl.pastiche.org/2008/11/11/license_hacking/">License Hacking</a></strong></p> Wikipedia is making the switch to a CC license, by asking the Free Software Foundation to include that as an option in the latest version of the Free Documentation License which Wikipedia currently uses and which includes an auto-upgrade clause. Devious. <p>Tags: <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/creativecommons">creativecommons</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/fdl">fdl</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/free-software-foundation">free-software-foundation</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/licensing">licensing</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/open-source">open-source</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/wikipedia">wikipedia</a></p>

2007-03-25T19:56:12+00:002007-03-25T19:56:12+00:00https://simonwillison.net/2007/Mar/25/goldblog/#atom-tag

<p><strong><a href="http://www.goldb.org/goldblog/2007/03/25/FreeSoftwareFoundation2007AssociateMemberMeeting.aspx">Free Software Foundation to switch to Django</a></strong></p> “FSF is switching from Zope to Django (both Python powered!) for web application development... Lots of new stuff coming soon, including contributions back to the Django community.” <p>Tags: <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/django">django</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/free-software-foundation">free-software-foundation</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/python">python</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/zope">zope</a></p>