Re: GNU FDL 1.2 draft comment summary posted, and RFD (fwd)
On Wed, Jun 12, 2002 at 05:34:36PM -0700, Mark Rafn wrote:
> Here we're getting to the crux of #3. Why is it harder to misrepresent
> someone with software than with documents? Is it simply that it's easier
> to modify a document, so the freedom is expected to be used by a wider
> variety of people?
No, it's because it's possible to make subtle changes to a document that
will *completely* alter its function, which is much harder (usually),
with software.
It would for example be easy to take a Microsoft press release and make
subtle changes which result in something which completely satirises MS.
The original author of a document would generally wish it to be clear that they
had nothing to do with the changes. This could perhaps be achieved by requiring
provision of sources to the original ('parent') document?
It would usually be much harder to make subtle changes to a program's
source code in such a way as to cause it to behave in a manner diametrically
opposed to the original author's intent.
Cheers,
Nick
--
Nick Phillips -- nwp@lemon-computing.com
You should go home (*).
* at some point.
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