Re: Why documentation and programs should not be treated alike
Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:
> I think that nontechnical invariant comments do not make a program
> non-free, but not for those reasons. The reason is that this is a
> packaging requirement that doesn't really restrict you from making the
> program substantively behave as you want it to.
The role of a program is to behave. The role of a book is to
communicate.
The standard for freeness of a program is the ability to change at
liberty how it behaves.
The standard for freeness of a book is the ability to change at
liberty what it communicates.
Perhaps it isn't important for all books to be free. But that's an
entirely different question from what it means for the book to be
free.
Thomas
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