Re: A possible approach in 'solving' the FDL problem
Op di 12-08-2003, om 07:18 schreef Branden Robinson:
> On Tue, Aug 12, 2003 at 12:59:07AM +0200, Wouter Verhelst wrote:
> > On Mon, Aug 11, 2003 at 03:17:52PM -0500, Branden Robinson wrote:
> > > Not everyone agrees that the world is round, either, and one can marshal
> > > as many logical arguments demonstrating that it is as one wants.
> >
> > This comparison is flawed. A correct one would be 'not everyone agrees
> > that the word "world" means "the planet earth"'. After all, there are
> > other planets too...
>
> Thank you for this telling example of context-dropping.
I'm sorry, I don't see your point. My post that started this thread was
about the meaning of the word 'software', not about the form of some
ball we live on.
> > Still, that doesn't change my opinion; I've always interpreted the word
> > 'software' as 'computer programs', and I cannot imagine to be the only
> > Debian developer with that opinion. Since this document defines the way
> > we look at the world, as a group, it's very important we clear that out.
>
> There are a number of ways to do this. One is to explore the historical
> and factual context within which the statement was first made.
Yes; but could it not be of more value to explore what the current body
of developers think the *current* factual context of that statement is?
> It is not the case that Debian used to contain nothing but computer
> programs, but sometime after adopting the Social Contract, we let other
> materials into our Distribution.
Of course; however,
> > > Which part of Social Contract clause 1 do you want to get rid of?
> [...]
> > I'm going to ignore this part, and attribute it to the reason you earned
> > your reputation.
>
> It's certainly a convenient excuse to avoid answering the question.
There's no reason to answer such a question. In another post, you
accused me of ridiculising. The same could be said of this one.
It has never been my point to 'get rid' of any part of the Social
Contract. The point is to make sure we're sure we all agree on a crucial
point: the definition of software.
If that requires amending the social contract, then so be it. But that
doesn't mean we have to 'get rid' of any part of the social contract.
--
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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