Re: Copyright from the lcs-projekt!? [dwarf@polaris.net: Re: First cut at testing and validation]

[Dale Scheetz <dwarf@polaris.net>]

On Thu, 13 Aug 1998, Philip Hands wrote:

> > Any modification of the code creates a different standard, defeating the
> > whole purpose of the standard. Copyright produces an identity for the item
> > under copyright that can not be smudged in this fashion without smudging
> > that identity. The standard needs its own identity in a fashion that
> > cannot be smudged into non-existance.
> 
> Are you saying that the code _is_ the standard ?
> 
Sort of, but not quite.

> If that's the case I can see your point.
> 
> I'd assumed the code was just an implementation of the standard.
> 
None of you even bothered to look at the code that the copyright covers,
did you?

The "code" under copyright is four (five? ;-) while loops, that read lines
from particular files and check to see that the items from the list are
found on the current system. If any fail, a message posts the line from
the file and flips the flag. The final message is based on which way the
flag is flipped. I freely release this algorithm to the world, for
whatever that is worth ;-)

The copyright is intended to protect the files from being modified in any
way. These files contain the lists of objects to be checked. It is the
fact that the system contains these objects, in the places checked, that
makes it compliant with the standard. It is more than a little important
that the lists and the code be correct.

So, in a sense the lists of objects _are_ the standard, or at least
components of the standard. Checking them correctly is important, so
the whole collection of code and files containing lists is protected by
the copyright in order to maintain the standard.

I suspect that if you had looked at the code and pondered its purpose we
would not have had this long conversation?

Thanks,

Dwarf
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