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From: | Tabatha Persad |
Subject: | [Gwm-general] Draft One of "Libre Documentation" |
Date: | Mon, 11 Mar 2002 12:09:53 -0800 |
Hi there!
Okay, I've read the GWM Objectives, done some
research, and have a first draft of the documentation that will outline the
definition of "Libre Documentation."
This is plain text, sent in the body of this
message (with the exception of the titles, which I put in bold for easier
reading). I'll save the HTML formatting until I hear back on anything I
need to add or remove from what I have so far!
Please send feedback!
Thanks,
Tabatha
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Libre Documentation & Libre Software Defined
In order to better understand what is meant by the term "Libre Documentation," we need to explore what Libre means.
To better illustrate this, let us look at the definition of Libre from a
"Libre Software"
standpoint. Libre Software is also known as "Free Software," but this
is usually where the
definition becomes skewed.
What most people define as free software is not necessarily really free
because it may be
restricted, in that the user may not have access to the source code.
The term "free" with
respect to software and documentation is often misinterpreted to mean
"gratis", or free of
cost.
In an open source community, this is not an accurate representation of free
software, so
instead, the term Libre is used. In Spanish and French, Libre, as
opposed to Gratis, indicates
liberty or freedom rather than price.
In order for a software application to be considered Libre, these following
conditions need
to be met:
1. The user has the liberty or freedom to run the program, for any
purpose.
2. The user has the liberty to understand how the program works and adapt it to his or her needs. This means the source code of the program is available to view
and edit.
3. The user has the liberty to make improvements to the software and release those improvements to the public, for the benefit of the entire
community.
4. The user has the liberty to redistribute copies or modified copies of the program. Likewise, for Libre Documentation, the same definition applies. Libre
Documentation is
documentation that one can copy or enhance as long as these inherent
freedoms are met. In
addition, for documentation to be classified as Libre, we need to consider
the following:
1. Documents should come with a human readable and editable source
(html, txt, xml are ok,
pdf dvi or ps are not, since they cannot be edited without proprietary
software)
2. They should be copylefted so that new versions can be created from the exisiting base, just like a software fork
3. They may be sold, or given away - this freedom should not be impaired by additional requirements (such as 'no commercial printing allowed')
Protecting Documentation and Software with Licenses In order to protect these freedoms, software licenses have been developed
to ensure that
the software is able to meet the "Libre" qualifications. The license also
protects these
programs from becoming proprietary, or commercial, whereby the source code
becomes closed
off from the user.
Licenses have also been developed for Libre Documentation, most notably the
GNU Free
Documentation License, or FDL. Other documentation licenses include
the FreeBSD
Documentation License, Apple's Common Documentation License, and the Open
Publication
License, however it must be stated that some are restrictive and not
compatible with the GNU
FDL.
The GNU Free Documentation License states its purpose clearly in the
preamble, which is
quoted below:
"0. PREAMBLE
The purpose of this License is to make a manual, textbook, or other written
document "free"
in the sense of freedom: to assure everyone the effective freedom to copy
and redistribute
it, with or without modifying it, either commercially or
noncommercially. Secondarily, this
License preserves for the author and the publisher a way to get credit for
their work, while
not being considered responsible for modifications made by others.
This license is a kind of "copyleft", which means that derivative works of
the document must
themselves be free in the same sense. It complements the GNU General
Public License, which
is a copyleft license designed for free software.
We have designed this License in order to use it for manuals for free
software, because free
software needs free documentation: a free program should come with
manuals providing the
same freedoms that the software does. But this License is not limited
to software manuals;
it can be used for any textual work, regardless of subject matter or
whether it is published
as a printed book. We recommend this License principally for works
whose purpose is
instruction or reference."
Copyright vs. Copyleft Copyrights exist in order to protect authors of documentation or software
from unauthorized
copying or selling of their work. A copyright infers that only with
the author or
permission
may such activities take place.
A Copyleft, on the other hand, provides a method for software or
documentation to be
modified, and distributed back to the community, provided it remains Libre.
In the case of Libre Documentation, an author can place his or her
copyright into the
document, and use distribution terms, such as those in the GNU Free
Documentation License,
which gives everyone the rights to use, modify, and redistribute the code,
but only if those
distribution terms remain unchanged. This ensures that the source
code and the freedoms are
legally inseparable. This is known as "copyleft".
If a program or document was uncopyrighted and in the public domain,
changes could be made
and the program or document could be re-distributed as a proprietary
product. The copyleft
ensures that not only is the original source free, but that all
modifications must be made
free, and permission is granted for all who follow in modifying that same
program or
document, provided they abide by these terms.
Applying a free software or free documentation license to an application or
document
qualifies the product as Libre, and protects the open source community at
large from it
becoming commercial or proprietary.
Resources:
1. The GWM Objectives, http://www.7un.net/gnu/index.php
2. The GNU Free Documentation License, http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html 3. Categories of Free and Non-Free Software, http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html 4. Various Licenses and Comments About Them, http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html (of course I will FDL this when I'm done!)
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