From b61733a4b8e2ee5e35e99423c5eece66f82f1947 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Andrew Kelley Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2020 19:55:35 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] readme: rewrite the license section --- README.md | 16 ++++++++++------ 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index fbfc2f95b2..7601d49d57 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -111,16 +111,20 @@ stage2/bin/zig build install -Drelease The ultimate goal of the Zig project is to serve users. As a first-order effect, this means users of the compiler, helping programmers to write better -code. Even more important, however, are the end users. +software. Even more important, however, are the end users. -Zig is intended to be used to help end users accomplish their goals. For -example, it would be inappropriate and offensive to use Zig to implement -[dark patterns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_pattern) and it would be -shameful to utilize Zig to exploit people instead of benefit them. +Zig is intended to be used to help **end users** accomplish their goals. Zig +should be used to empower end users, never to exploit them financially or to +limit their freedom to interact with hardware or software in any way. However, such problems are best solved with social norms, not with software licenses. Any attempt to complicate the software license of Zig would risk -compromising the value Zig provides to users. +compromising the value Zig provides. Therefore, Zig is available under the MIT (Expat) License, and comes with a humble request: use it to make software better serve the needs of end users. + +This project redistributes code from other projects, some of which have other +licenses besides MIT. Such licenses are generally similar to the MIT license +for practical purposes. See the subdirectories and files inside lib/ for more +details.