Re: non-free --> non-dfsg

[Ossama Othman <othman@cs.wustl.edu>]

Hi Craig,

> > The point is that it easy to say "I am right and you are wrong."  Who
> > makes us right and them wrong?
> 
> i think you're missing the point.
> 
> the point has nothing to do with who is right and who is wrong.

Somewhere along the way of this thread I unwittingly moved into the
philosophical realm and started speaking as so, and lost track of how it
initially got started.  The question I posed was purely philosophical and 
wasn't meant to be applied toward Debian although I used Debian in my
analogy/question/whatever.  Please excuse the philosophy. :)

> the point is that as far as Debian is concerned, the DFSG is THE test of
> whether a program is free or not.

I thought that we came to an understanding that I understood that? Before
you answer this please read on.
 
> if a program passes all of the criteria, it is free.
> if a program fails any one of the criteria, it is non-free.
> 
> debian's archives are run according to debian's policies. we'd be
> hypocrites, otherwise. 

Yes, I agree. I am not disputing that.
(let's not get into my interpretation of "free" again, please)

> neither software authors, nor users, nor the communities, nor anyone
> except debian developers get a vote when it comes to debian's policies.
> nor should they.

I also agree.  My intention was only to look at the situation from the
other side.  Please don't mistake my objectivity for a lack of support of 
Debian policy.

Thanks,
-Ossama
______________________________________________________________________
Ossama Othman <othman@cs.wustl.edu>
58 60 1A E8 7A 66 F4 44  74 9F 3C D4 EF BF 35 88  1024/8A04D15D 1998/08/26