In reply to mark k..

@Mark
I agree there are varying levels of dogmatism and/or militancy around the licensing and other topics, like the 'decisions over options' you mention. Also it's true there are developers who use the license not because they believe in the underpinnings, but merely as a perceived cost of doing business in the WordPress ecosystem.

But, looking at the bigger picture, something that history has demonstrated so far is that the licensing scheme has been a good foundation for the entire platform, with the pond getting bigger and bigger for everyone. There is value in having a community agreeing on certain principles or rules because it translates into benefits for all. It works when the overwhelming majority follows it.

When certain businesses deviate on the licensing, it doesn't just betray the philosophy regarding user freedoms, it fragments the ecosystem. If business X starts encrypting their code, or slaps a more restrictive license on their code, or feels the need to patent what they deem as 'innovative' approaches, it has a knock on effect that extends beyond their own business. It runs completely counter to what helps the platform succeed and it makes the community less cohesive.

Given how much flexibility, resources, business models and opportunities businesses have while operating inside this platform, why should we promote businesses that feel special enough that they can create their own rules while still leveraging all the perks of our OSS platform? This is where I get really confused when developers insist on a particular license but they also insist on benefiting off of a platform where an OSS license is part of the DNA. If those developers want to use a non-compatible license, why don't they freely choose another platform.

So a directory that only welcomes GPL compatible work reflects a belief in the idea that it wants to promote stuff that contributes to a stronger platform for everyone. To put that down as censorship or bullying is mischaracterisation to me.

ps. different versions of GPL are compatible with various versions of MIT, Apache and BSD too I believe, so there are choices (see (http://gplv3.fsf.org/wiki/index.php/Compatible_licenses for specifics)