Re: [GNU-linux-libre] emulators and other hosts of foreign applications

[bill-auger]

On Wed, 12 Jul 2023 22:02:54 -0400 Richard wrote:
> The point is to about judging whether including a certain free program
> tends to do indirect harm that outweighs its direct good (which, in
> cases like ScummVM, is very small).  This is not a matter of rigid
> rules and "justifications".  It is a matter of weiging good and harm.
> 
>   > but for one caveat - the FSDG as it is, is extremely vague - so vague, 
> that it
>   > was apparently _intended_ to be imprecise  
> 
> Yes, exactly!  I think what you mean is that some of its questions are
> judgment calls, a matter of weighing one goal against another.

if it is intended to be vague, then obviously it can not have an explicit
warning about any one specific program, only about the general indirect danger
of software with certain properties (in this case, software hosts with no known
libre clients)

the problem we have experienced due to vagueness and judgment calls, is that
most distros do not participate in these discussions; and some will refute the
consensus of the work-group and facets of the FSDG itself if confronted about
alleged infractions; but they make no effort to change the consensus or the FSDG
to justify their interpretations - instead, each distro makes their own
judgment calls, quietly amongst themselves, often contradicting the judgment of
other distros and the work-group as a whole - the result in the perception of
the greater community is that we all look like we can not agree on what the
FSDG actually specifies

that is why i was applauding a call for precision, along with encouraging
distros to participate in forming consensus on the few remaining judgments