Re: Software definition, was: A possible GFDL compromise
Keith Stephen Dunwoody <kstephen@interchange.ubc.ca> a tapoté :
> On 15 Sep 2003, Mathieu Roy wrote:
>
> > MJ Ray <markj@cloaked.freeserve.co.uk> a tapoté :
> >
> > > On 2003-09-15 07:40:04 +0100 Mathieu Roy <yeupou@gnu.org> wrote:
> > > > - But it may also means that the only content that can be on a
> > > > Debian CD must be software under the definition that I
> > > > copied from two dictionnaries in the mail I just sent. [...]
> > >
> > > For one, I cannot understand where you get this requirement.
> > >
> > > Curiously, dicofr.com claims that "logiciel" was defined in 1967 by
> > > Philippe Renard as a direct replacement for the English meaning, as
> > > the intangible part of the computer, but then goes on to say it is now
> > > a synonym for program. My nearby copy of Larousse and
> > > francophonie.hachette-livre.fr only have the program meaning. Maybe
> > > French has become corrupted, similar to some English dictionaries?
> > > Someone with more resources
> >
> >
> > I do not need dicofr to define the word Logiciel.
> >
> > But anyway, the following is the definition of the Academie Française:
> >
> >
> > 1)*LOGICIEL n. m. XXe siècle. Dérivé de logique.
> >
> > INFORM. Ensemble structuré de programmes remplissant une
> > fonction déterminée, permettant l'accomplissement d'une tâche
> > donnée. Logiciel de traitement de texte, de dessin. Logiciel
> > éducatif, pédagogique. Logiciel de simulation, de jeu. Le
> > logiciel d'exploitation d'un ordinateur. Il s'est substitué à
> > l'anglais Software, qui n'a plus à être employé.
> >
> >
> > It's pretty clear. You may claim that the Academie Française and all
> > the French people use a corrupted definition of Logiciel (it's not
> > that the etymology would says). But the French language is made by the
> > French and by the Academie Française.
> >
>
> I think you missed the point. I believe the point was that logiciel was
> originally intended as a replacement for "software", but now seems to be
> more of a replacement for "program".
I think you missed the point.
I think that it has been a replacement for program from the start. The
etymology of the word says so.
> Hence not being a replacement for "Software" in the DFSG.
> L'Academie can say it is a replacement for software all they want,
> but if it doesn't mean the same thing, then it clearly isn't.
It's a replacement for software for French people. I never heard a
French guy taking care of the distinction between Hardware and
Software like you do. Whether a document is stored on a computer or
not seems to be a big matter only for non-French people. For me and
for any persons I know, we consider as part of an Operating System
only what permits it to run (program and documentation).
Buty, to get back to Debian, the Debian definition of Software is
definitely not "Logiciel". That's ok.
--
Mathieu Roy
Homepage:
http://yeupou.coleumes.org
Not a native english speaker:
http://stock.coleumes.org/doc.php?i=/misc-files/flawed-english
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