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Re: [Proposal] Updating the Social Contract

On 2004-01-10 15:26:23 +0000 Raul Miller <moth@debian.org> wrote:


   5. Programs That Don't Meet Our Free-Software Standards
We acknowledge that some of our users require the use of programs 
      that don't conform to the Debian Free Software Guidelines. We
have created "contrib" and "non-free" areas in our FTP archive for software which satisfies our Free Redistribution guideline but not all our other guidelines. The software in these directories is an 
      optional supplement to the Debian OS which is available from the
      "main" are of our FTP archive.  Thus, although non-free software
      isn't the point of Debian, we support its use, and we provide
infrastructure (such as our bug-tracking system and mailing lists) 
      for non-free software packages.

If you think this is a bad idea, please explain what you see that need
to be solved, and suggest how to make it better.
It would have been helpful to describe your changes. It is the same up to "our FTP Archive for" and then you replaced the original text "this software. The software in these directories is not part of the Debian system, although it has been configured for use with Debian. We encourage CD manufacturers to read the licenses of software packages in these directories and determine if they can distribute that software on their CDs. Thus, although non-free software isn't a part of Debian," followed by the common ending "we support its use, and we provide infrastructure (such as our bug-tracking system and mailing lists) for non-free software packages."
Are DFSG 7 and 9 also required for entry into non-free? Also, I think contrib actually should fulfil all DFSG, but depends on software that doesn't. Your rewrite appears to weaken that, which I'm sure you didn't mean to do.
I oppose this proposal because it increases confusion about what is part of the distribution and increases the conflict with the first clause of the social contract. 

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