Re: Understanding the GFDL GR proposal and amendment

[Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org>]

Hi,

        I would like to throw my hat in the ring to try to clarify to
 y'all what I believe the GR and amendments are doing, and which may
 explain why the ballot is shaping up the way it is -- and that
 involves the release tea decision that the GFDL is non-free.

        I am currently reconsidering the 3:1 requirement for the
 amendment, and also am considering splitting the amendment off into a
 separate GR, since the issues may be only superficially related.


        For example, follow the URL in [1], you can see that a number
 of bugs have been declared serious RC bugs. Then, the messages to
 debian-devel-announce@lists.debian.org referred to in [1] and [2] are
 messages frmo the release team before ([1]) and after ([2]) the
 release of sarge laying out their position unequivocally.

,----[ The release team states: ]
|       * Debian says GFDL is non-DFSG-free
|       * GFDL material will not be included in main
`----


        I posit the GR is a position statement explaining Debian's
 stance. 

,----[ Anthony's proposal states: ]
|       * The problems with GFDL are "Invariant Sections", "Transparent
|         Copies" and "Digital Rights Management"
|       * FSF could make a new version of the license DFSG-free but hasn't
|         done so despite four years of negotiation
`----


        I also think Adeodato's amendment  is actually conflating a 
 position statement and an overturning of the rm team decision. 

,----[ Adeodato's amendment states: ]
|       * Override the RM team, and Debian state that  says GFDL is
|         non-DFSG-free only in some modes of use 
|       * GFDL material in these modes of use will not be included in main
|       * The problems with GFDL are "The DRM Restriction", "Transparent
|         and Opaque Copies" and "Invariant Sections"
|       * Only the "Invariant Sections" problem makes the GFDL
|         non-free
|       * The other problems make GFDL incompatible with some other
|         licenses, but does not make material with no "Invariant
|         Sections" non-free -- thus Debian continues to include it
|         in main 
`----

        manoj

[1]
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgreport.cgi?usertag=debian-release@lists.debian.org:gfdl

[2]
Subject: Bits (Nybbles?) from the Vancouver release team meeting
Message-ID: <20050314044505.GA5157@mauritius.dodds.net>
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 20:45:09 -0800

[3]
Subject: Removing non-free documentation from main
Message-ID: <20050914003611.GA25846@feynman>
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 02:36:11 +0200


-- 
Conquering Russia should be done steppe by steppe.
Manoj Srivastava   <srivasta@debian.org>  <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
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