Re: GPL v3 Draft
On Mon, Jan 16, 2006 at 10:41:14PM +0100, Bernhard R. Link wrote:
> > 5.[2] Distributing Modified Source Versions.
> > c) If the modified work has interactive user interfaces, each must
> > include a convenient feature that displays an appropriate
> > copyright notice, and tells the user that there is no warranty for
> > the program (or that you provide a warranty), that users may
> > redistribute the modified work under these conditions, and how to
> > view a copy of this License together with the central list (if any) of
> > other terms in accord with section 7. If the interface presents a
> > list of user commands or options, such as a menu, a command to
> > display this information must be prominent in the list.
> > Otherwise, the modified work must display this information at
> > startup--except in the case that the Program has such
> > interactive modes and does not display this information at
> > startup.
>
> Uh, this got even longer. Though I think my want to get it removed
> at all is just personal taste, I think.
I didn't like the original one at all. I like quiet interactive programs,
that don't spam users unnecessarily, and I want programs I release to
follow that principle by default. GPLv2 said that if a program outputs
a GPL blurb by default, you're prohibited from removing it; you can add
an option to disable it, but it can't be the default ("in the most
ordinary way"). It may even have been interpretable to apply to splash
dialogs when a GUI program starts up, which is even worse.
This version doesn't do that; it permits moving it to a more appropriate
place. I don't like that it's longer, but it seems like an improvement.
> "valid for at least three years and valid for as long".
> Can someone more capable of the English language help me here:
> Is that a min or a max of those two?
It's intended to be "max", but this could be clearer. I had to read it
twice.
--
Glenn Maynard
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