[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Let's stop feeding the NVidia cuckoo



Scripsit Francesco Poli <frx@firenze.linux.it>
> On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 10:51:11 +0000 Henning Makholm wrote:

>> According to my statement, *if* we do get the special tool and all of
>> the intermediate forms, then the work is free. My statement does not
>> tell anything about the freedom if we don't - then we're in the grey
>> area where we have to apply common sense or other rules of thumb.

> I agree with you that it would be far better if we could get the special
> tool (and even better if the special tool were DFSG-free!), but would it
> be *required* for the generated work to be DFSG-free?

I'm wouldn't be comfortable with a genral rule that says that the
answer *must* be either yes or no whenever an example matches the
general hypothetical situation we are discussing here.

> We have to judge: in most cases my bet is that providing the special
> tool is optional (an interesting and useful optional, but still not
> mandatory).

In many concrete cases I would probably agree with you.

> The "preferred form for modification" definition seems to work well in
> all cases I can think of: obviously, there are cases in which we must be
> careful when applying it, but it works anyway.

I agree with this. What I'm objecting to is the idea that it is
automatically and unconditionally the _author's_ preferrences that
apply.

-- 
Henning Makholm            "And why should I talk slaves' and fools' talk? I
                       don't want him to live for ever, and I know that he's
                   not going to live for ever whether I want him to or not."



Reply to: