Re: non-free --> non-dfsg
On Wed, Jan 20, 1999 at 01:18:37AM -0600, Ossama Othman wrote:
> > Ossama> Looking at it from the author's point of view, the author may
> > Ossama> feel that Debian's definition of "free" is wrong and his is
> > Ossama> right. So he may also think about Debian that "there is
> > Ossama> indeed something wrong that they should know about."
> >
> > This is all very interesting, and so on, but where is this
> > leading? All kinds of people may have all kinds of opinion about
> > Debian. The point is?
>
> The point is that it easy to say "I am right and you are wrong." Who
> makes us right and them wrong?
i think you're missing the point.
the point has nothing to do with who is right and who is wrong.
the point is that as far as Debian is concerned, the DFSG is THE test of
whether a program is free or not.
if a program passes all of the criteria, it is free.
if a program fails any one of the criteria, it is non-free.
debian's archives are run according to debian's policies. we'd be
hypocrites, otherwise.
craig
PS: while it is true that a large majority of the free software / linux
community tends to agree with debian about what makes software free or
non-free (witness the rapid and enthusiastic adoption of the Open Source
Definition, which is the DFSG with debian references stripped out), that is
also irrelevant...
neither software authors, nor users, nor the communities, nor anyone
except debian developers get a vote when it comes to debian's policies.
nor should they.
--
craig sanders
Reply to: