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Re: What RMS says about standards (was: [rms@gnu.org: Re: Questions regarding free documentation.]



Hi,
>>"Drake" == Drake Diedrich <Drake.Diedrich@anu.edu.au> writes:

 Drake> On Wed, Aug 19, 1998 at 12:30:03AM +0100, Ian Jackson wrote:
 >> Can someone please run by me again why they think we need a new
 >> category `verbatim' or whatever alongside main, contrib, non-free ?

 Drake>    It is pretty well agreed (I think) that Official CD's
 Drake> should carry even immutable standards that wouldn't pass the
 Drake> DFSG.  Whether we call these packages "Debian", and exactly
 Drake> where in the directory structure they should go was not
 Drake> resolved.  The failure to reach concensus was probably due to
 Drake> consideration of the other immutable documents (software
 Drake> licenses in particular).

	I beg to disagree with this assesment. I was under the
 imprtession that we were moving towards the verbatim solution; with
 allowances being made to ensure that licenses were distributed with
 the software that required them. 


 Drake>    Recalling Manoj's immutable document classes (I think I missed 2 of
 Drake> them), these are my suggestions using the existing
 Drake> distributions:

	I think restrictig ourselves to existing distributions is a
 bad idea, and does not scale well. Also, you blur the meanings of
 contrib; which was pretty clear so far. 

 Drake> Software documentation:  non-free
 Drake> Licence texts:           main
 Drake> Standards:               contrib

	I disagree. I would prefer verbatim, with a second choice
 being main, if not, even non-fere is a better choice than contrib. 

 Drake> Opinions:                ?
 Drake> Artwork:                 non-free

	Why? Why is immutable artwork going to non free?

	So far, we have put things in non free where we can make an
 argument that that really harms the fre software community. I have
 not saeen any arguments, cogent or otherwise, that indicate that
 immutable artwork harms the community.


 Drake>    Whether the legal text of a software license can be immutable was
 Drake> debated.  The Berne convention has a clause punting on the
 Drake> issue, so presumably the signatory nations couldn't agree
 Drake> either, and copyright of legal texts is subject to local
 Drake> legislation.

	Local legislation in the united states treating licenses just
 like any other copyrighted work.

	manoj
-- 
 After Goliath's defeat, giants ceased to command respect. Freeman
 Dyson
Manoj Srivastava  <srivasta@acm.org> <http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
Key C7261095 fingerprint = CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05  CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E


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