Re: Licenses for DebConf6
On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 13:59:08 +0100, Andreas Schuldei <andreas@debian.org> said:
> * Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> [2005-11-12 20:42:39]:
>> Well, a conference that is not affiliated with Debian, such a
>> requirement is not tenable, that is true. But if such a conference
>> uses the Debian trademark, we can indeed ask that our core values,
>> as enshrined in our social contract, be respected.
>>
>> If there is ever a collection of papers that appear to be a product
>> of the Debian project, or seem to be endorsed by it, I suspect we
>> can ask for the spirit of the social contract be not blatantly
>> violated.
> the goal of the debian conferences is not to produce a pile of
> papers or other materials. it's goal is to inspire the participants
> to work on debian even in the coming year, give them new ideas and
> renew their dedication and passion to the project.
By the same token, software is there to help users do their
job, and part of being the best OS there is is to allow our users to
be more productive, and best make use of the tool (that is, the OS)
we present them. By that simple reasoniung, is it not better to give
the users all the software we can, even if it means installing Debian
requires signing EULA's?
> If talks and papers conflict with that goal we might have to skip
> them. They are not the main purpose of the conference, but are
> supposed to serve as a tool to that end.
Our goal is to produce the best FREE operating system
possible; and a secondary goal is to convince people that when
information is free, all kinds of unintended collaboration occurs --
which may not even have been envisaged by the original authors.
Freely licensed talks may allow people to use them in other
conferences and meetings (my LUG would be ever grateful to Colin
Walters for his liberal licensing since it gave us a much better
insight into Debian packaging).
When information is free, it can be used in ways that greatly
multiply the utility to the community (look at the myriad uses of
google maps that have sprung up when google opened up the API).
> So far it is doubtfull that that is even necessary, as last years
> lack of freely licensensed papers was mainly due to speakers not
> picking a lisense instead of them picking a non-free one. We
> recognized that problem and will make it easier for them to pick a
> free lisense by letting them pick one from a list when submitting
> the paper via the website.
If it is not even necesary, then why are we not using this as
an opportunity to spread the word that free licenses are indeed
viable, and can work even for conferences? That they are not just
hobbyist tools to be discarded at the first whiff of any thing real
and practical, like running a conference?
manoj
--
Zero Defects, n.: The result of shutting down a production line.
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
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