Protecting the open-source license commons

Yes, this. Not sure whether I qualify as a "GPL hippie," but I've surely written a couple of letters asking for source for various Linux-running hardware I've bought. Most of the time I was politely told to fuck off, sometimes ignored and only in a small minority of cases I've got the source.

I guess everyone who tried to get sources for their Android phone or embedded device did have the same experience.

I can entirely understand why McHardy thought his reaction is appropriate. I don't wish luck to hardware vendors that violate my freedoms and I have no good reasons to assume they're merely being stupid, not evil.