Re: Proposed: Debian's Five Freedoms for Free Works

[Thomas Hood <jdthood@yahoo.co.uk>]

> 1) The freedom to use the Work for any purpose.
> 2) The freedom adapt the Work to one's needs.  Access to the form of the
                ^to
>    work which is preferred for making modifications (for software, the
>    "source code"), if applicable, is a precondition for this.
> 3) The freedom to redistribute copies of the Work.
> 4) The freedom to change the Work for any purpose[1], to distribute
>    one's changes, and to distribute the Work in modified form.  Access
>    to the form of the work which is preferred for making modifications,
>    if applicable, is a precondition for this.

What's the difference between "change ... for any purpose" (#4)
and "adapt ... to one's needs" (#2)?  If they mean the same thing
then one of them is superfluous.  It they mean different things
then the difference should be made clearer.

Looking at the FSF original, I see that #2 is the freedom to
"study how the program works ... and adapt ...".  I think you
should restore the word 'study', since that seems to be the
essence of the second FSF freedom.  Also, access to source is
a precondition for studying a program, but not necessary for
adapting a program.  I can "adapt" Microsoft Windows to my needs
without the source code.

By the way, it would be better if you preserved the FSF's numbering
for these freedoms: FSF numbers them from zero through three.

The fifth freedom you add is addressed on the FSF's page, even
though it is not enumerated as one of the Four Freedoms:

   You should also have the freedom to make modifications
   and use them privately in your own work or play, without
   even mentioning that they exist.

So this raises the question: Why not just reference the FSF page?
If you have quibbles with the FSF definition, you could submit
patches to the FSF.

Thanks
--
Thomas