Jesus, what have I done in the last 3 years? It sucks being one who is easily discouraged.

Cool. Someone on the abi-dev mailing list said the best way to learn its code is to start at a corner. Well my corner has been the toolbar icons and buttons. First I learned how brain-dead easy it was to change the icons, now I can see how to change the layout, remove icons and even(in some cases) change what actions they perform. Moreover I am seeing how many different files can be related to one tiny little feature. I also got around to sketching out the 1st lesson of a possible AbiWord tutorial.

For miniver:

I suppose for now we can debate accross diaries. :-)

You said:

When I work for myself, I have the right to determine how what I build should be disposed; when I work for someone else, they have that right. If I don't like their rules, I can either choose to obey their rules, or work somewhere else. RMS appears to believe that he knows better than I (or the companies I've work for) do about how my work should be used -- I think he's wrong.

Forgive me if I misinterpret, but you sound like you feel RMS wants to control what other people do with your software. No one is deciding this for you, RMS may be urging you to do "the right thing" in his eyes, but it is always your choice whether or not to use existing GPL software or to use the GPL license for your software. The GPL is about how you use other peoples work, and if you so choose, about protecting how your work is used by other people. So perhaps I misinterpret you, but if not please explain how RMS is determining how what you build should be disposed.

Today at work I witnessed yet another Windows protection error. The technician who was working on it, was not able to fix it. I dropped by and tried a few things but to no avail. Did find a solution to the problem on Microsofts website though. God forbid if there wasn't one there or the answer would've probably been locked in "proprietariness".