On Mon, Aug 11, 2003 at 03:06:31PM -0500, Branden Robinson wrote: > On Thu, Aug 07, 2003 at 11:01:06PM +0200, Wouter Verhelst wrote: > > In fact, if the debian-legal group were to decide all by itself that > > software and documentation are essentially the same thing, I'm afraid a > > fork would be much more likely. > > You're being obtuse, and possibly deliberately hostile. Excuse me? > The debian-legal regulars are interpreting the Social Contract and DFSG > as best they can. The Debian Project *has* no definition of > "documentation", let alone "free documentation", so we're making do by > applying the DFSG to everything that people want to put in the Debian > Distribution, which is required to remain "100% Free Software". My point being that this situation is suboptimal; I'd like to change that. > If you disagree with the decisions the debian-legal team is compelled to > make based upon the status quo determined by the Social Contract and > DFSG, change the Social Contract and DFSG. Ridiculing and belittling > the people who contribute to this mailing list by accusing them of > constructing their own feifdom is an inferior approach. It has never been my intention to do so; I'm merely stating my opinion. > (If you have trouble with feifdoms in this Project, I'd suggest that > there are some which operate with far less transparency than the > debian-legal mailing list.) Rest assured, I know. It's exactly because the debian-legal mailinglist does *not* seem to be opaque to me, that I wanted to > Read the Debian Constitution. You have all the power you need to > propose a General Resolution and thus stop the debian-legal regulars > from continuing their foul and disgusting efforts at a consistent > and faithful interpretation of the Social Contract. I'm not saying I find the interpretation the debian-legal mailinglist has applied to the Social Contract and the DFSG 'foul' or 'disgusting'. I'm merely saying that the way they have been interpreted, although the only valid way according to the current texts of the respective documents, may not be the correct way (apart from what the DFSG and the Social Contract say), and thus that they may have to be altered, or cleared out. And yes, I know very well that I have all the power I need to propose a GR, thank you. However, I would consider it very bad practice to propose a general resolution on _any_ subject without first discussing its subject with those that could, by the fact that they discuss it on a daily basis, be considered to be knowledgeable on the subject. My intention has never been to ridicule, laugh at, or insult anyone; only to consult and gather opinions -- and defend my opinion, of course. -- Wouter Verhelst Debian GNU/Linux -- http://www.debian.org Nederlandstalige Linux-documentatie -- http://nl.linux.org "An expert can usually spot the difference between a fake charge and a full one, but there are plenty of dead experts." -- National Geographic Channel, in a documentary about large African beasts.
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