Re: Anton's amendment

[Anton Zinoviev <anton@lml.bas.bg>]

On Thu, Feb 02, 2006 at 07:58:44AM -0600, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
> On Thu, 2 Feb 2006 12:39:52 +0200, Anton Zinoviev <anton@lml.bas.bg> said: 
> 
> > The interpretation I proposed is not a novel and unconventional.  It
> > is not novel because it represents notion for "free software" that
> > is older that Debian.  It is not unconventional because it is
> > widespread among the free software community.  I'd say that your
> > interpretation is more unconventional than mine.
> 
>         It is a novel and unconventional reading of the foundation
>  document.

It is funny to call this reading "novel" considering that it is the
only possible reading.  It is the only possible reading because nobody
else could tell us another reading of DFSG3 that would keep GPL free
license.

Possibly you didn't know how the free software community understands
the words "free software", if so I can see why you are considering
this reading "novel".  You already agreed that "the license must allow
arbitrary modifications" is an absurd reading that would make GPL and
many other free licenses non-free.  So far you failed in your attempts
to refine this absurd reading but still you are trying to bind the
whole project with it.

> > So far there is absolutely _no_ decision taken by Debian project
> > that invalidates my interpretation.
> 
>         You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. But when we
>  ratified "The license must allow modifications", we did take a
>  decision.

And you are, of course, entitled to yours, provided you manage to
clarify your opinion to yourself.  Even then you have no rights to
bind Debian with your opinion.

Anton Zinoviev