Re: Inconsistencies in our approach
John Goerzen wrote:
> On Fri, Aug 08, 2003 at 02:16:39AM +0100, Matthew Garrett wrote:
> > Sergey V. Spiridonov wrote:
> >
> > >Documentation and some other kinds of data can be used without computer.
> > >Documentation can be printed and sold as books. One does not need a
> > >computer to read a printed documentation.
> >
> > Is http://www.codon.org.uk/~mjg59/scratch/ifupdown-0.6.4/ifupdown.nw
> > software or documentation?
>
> I was waiting for that to come up. I would say it's both, and that it must
> pass the DFSG and any documentation guidelines we care to draft.
s/software/a program/
i would say neither. ifupdown.nw is a data file that will produce
documentation when fed to the appropriate program.
all electronic data files, all electronic programs, and all electronic
documentation fit into the classification of software. think back to
venn diagrams.
documentation, data, and programs all intersect each other; similar to
the three colour circles in this image:
http://home.att.net/~RTRUSCIO/images/ADDHUE1.JPG
surrounding those three is another venn circle that comprises software.
we can even intersect software and hardware, and call that firmware.
unless you can convince me that electronic bits are somehow not
software, you are going to have a very hard time convincing me that
electronic documentation is not software. i will agree that programs are
not documentation. i will agree that data is not documentation.
-john
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