Re: GFDL

[tb@becket.net (Thomas Bushnell, BSG)]

Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:

> I value freedom in documentation just as much as I do for programs.  I
> value it so much that I designed the GFDL specifically to induce
> commercial publishers to publish free documentation.

You don't value the freedom to modify the whole book.  You value
freedom in *documentation*, but you don't value freedom in *books*, it
seems.  Only certain books--only certain parts of books, in fact.

And you don't value freedom in documentation enough, because you don't
value the freedom to distribute documentation all by itself.

> This reminded me of another relevant difference between manuals and
> software.  It is harder to find good technical writers as volunteers
> than good programmers as volunteers.  So I decided it was worth while
> going quite close to the line, in the GFDL, to try to induce
> commercial publishers to use it.

Has this been successful?