Re: Grammar checking

[Lynn Winebarger]

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 11:28 PM Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> wrote:
>   > I suppose there's another, even more abstract concern with open source
>   > software that is developed specifically in conjunction with a SaaSS
>   > business,
>
> I can't be certain which program(s) you are talking about, but I think
> you are referring to the free version of LanguageTool as "open source"
> rather than "free".  Nearly all free programs are open source and
> nearly all open source programs are free, but normally we care whather
> a program is free, and we do NOT care whether it is open source.
> https://gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html.
>
> I think you must have chosen to write "open source" there to convey a
> point, but what point was it?
>

I'm attempting to refer to the project and/or development process
maintaining the primary distribution of the software.  When a program
is distributed as free software, but the project that
develops/maintains/distributes that program exists in part or in whole
to promote either a proprietary or SaaSS version of the software, I do
not understand how the program and the project are effectively
distinguished for the purpose of Section 8 of the GNU coding
standards.  That is, I do not know how a GNU program can depend on
such software without promoting the associated project and effectively
the proprietary software or SaaSS, under the two-step transitivity
rule described in Section 8.

Of course, my understanding is not required.  I believe my question
has been resolved - Section 8 is not intended to prohibit reliance on
such software projects.

>   >   But, would it be
>   > acceptable for a GNU software project to depend on such software?
>
> If we have free software to do further training on the neural network,
> we can accept it.

On further reflection, I had thought this situation would be covered
under the "preferred form of modification" rule, in that the dataset
used to train the algorithm (NN or otherwise) would be considered a
form of "source code".  It seems I was mistaken on that as well.

> Does LanguageTool use a neural network?

I do not know.

Lynn