Re: Growing FSFE Re: [Fsfe-uk] BBC's DRM Iplayer windows only

[Dave Crossland]

On 10/01/2008, MJ Ray <address@hidden> wrote:
> "Dave Crossland" <address@hidden> wrote:
> [...]
> > I hope that you've engaged the FSF about all the specific drawbacks
> > you see in SFDL.
>
> I'm locked out of the consultations, as explained at
> http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.org.fsf.europe.discussion/1092
> - that bug keeps recurring and it seems I cannot reopen the report.

I am very sympathetic to this; I had some comments on Affero GPL that
I never posted because when I tried stet was buggy and I never got
round to trying again in time for the final release; but I'm overall
happy with the final draft so dropped it. When I first used stet I had
no problems though; perhaps it scales poorly.

> Francesco Poli has broadly similar concerns to mine, such as
> http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2006/12/msg00124.html

Thanks for thee links, especially this one, not seen them before.

Is there a good list of posts to d-l about FDL issues? Or will I need
to rely on my own searching heuristics for finding them?

> but I've not seen any positive FSF response, only "can't do"s like
> http://gplv3.fsf.org/comments/rt/summarydecision.html?filename=%3C%%20%20%%3E&id=2287

I'm sad to see this, because the claim that "wikipedia under GPL would
mean wikitext source with html pages" is false; the source code
distribution requirement has MANY ways for source to be distributed.

> How is it possible to engage the FSF these days?  It seems that the
> only route left is causing small explosions and they're expensive to
> free software and probably harmful to FSFE's good work.

I'm sad to hear you feel insurrection is an effective strategy; I
won't support that.

I think of this:

"I invite them to represent themselves in any way they choose, and
pledge to work with them to create, even at this late date, a form of
participation in the deliberations about [FSF licenses] that would
reflect their preferred means of work"
- http://emoglen.law.columbia.edu/blog/licenses/gpl/gpl3/kernel-statement.html

Although Eben seems only indirectly involved formally with the FSF via
the SFLC, I hope that this kind of sentiment remains at the FSF.

Matt Lee started working for the FSF in an official capacity recently,
and lives in Manchester which is nearby (relative to Boston.) I am
trying to arrange a visit to Manchester myself sometime in February;
perhaps we three can arrange to meet face to face. I'll drive :-)

-- 
Regards,
Dave