Software, vegetable, mineral, was: A possible GFDL compromise: a proposal
On Sat, 27 Sep 2003, MJ Ray wrote:
>On 2003-09-26 08:04:12 +0100 Fedor Zuev <Fedor_zuev@mail.ru> wrote:
>> 0) Is printed Emacs Manual in bookstore a software or hardware?
>Not necessarily either.
>> 1) Is Emacs Manual recorded on CD-Audio a software or hardware?
>Not necessarily either, but I forget exactly what CD-Audio is.
>> 2) Is Debian/main printed as book a software or hardware?
>It is a physical representation of software.
>> 3) Why? What differs from 0,1?
>It differs from 1 in that it is easily readable by a computer to
>produce software.
So, your new, corrected, definition of "software" is not
"anything that actually loaded into computer memory", but is
"anything that can be loaded into computer memory in some possible
future point". In other words, software is everything,
including hardware (because most of modern hardware was designed in
the computer memory using CAD and can be, as well, reverse
engineered bask into that form). Right?
>> 8)Is Debian logo written on [cover of] the same CD-ROM software or
>> hardware?
>Not necessarily either.
>> 9) Why? What differs from 0, 1, 2, 4, 6?
>See 3.
Really?
But Debian Logo IS "easily readable by a computer". As
physical process, reading Debian/main data using CD-ROM drive is
quite similar to reading Debian Logo using scanner.
>> 10) Is Debian installation, hardcoded into embedded system software
>> or hardware?
>Maybe neither, both or firmware. I don't really know what you
>mean.
Is DFSG extends to cases when program distributed deep
inside a consumer electronics (like a clocks, telephones, VCR,
etc.)?
Reply to: