Re: [Bug-gnupedia] Nupedia

[Jimmy Wales]

address@hidden wrote:
> I can understand how participants of Nupedia would be annoyed, and
> even angry at Richard Stallman for announcing this project (the
> GNUpedia).  Furthermore, the people on this mailing list would be
> considered a brash upstart, and why should they (people with
> Nupedia) be forced to change anything to accomodate the efforts
> here?

We are not angry about a brash upstart, nor about a competing project.

I am personally angry at Richard Stallman for offering, within the
last two weeks, that we could make a joint announcement of Nupedia's
change from our homegrown license to the gFDL -- and keeping the
existence of gnupedia secret from me.  I do not understand his motives.

However, due to my overriding respect for the achievements of Richard
Stallman, I can only assume the best.  There must have been some
terrible misunderstanding or error.

As to why we should change to accomodate you?  YES, we should change
to accomodate you.  This is an open and co-operative endeavor, and
we should seek to accomodate as many points of view as we can.  We
would very much be interested in adapting our policies to assist a
core group of contributors, and we are open to anyone (not just 'gnupedia'
people) who comes in and makes a difference.

We should be forced to change any time that _anyone_ has a better
idea.  :-)

> Three big concerns that I have regardnig Nupedia:

> What are they using for source code to actually run the web site and
> use as a database to organize the information?

We are using Linux,Apache, and mod_php with a mysql backend.  All of
our software is GPL.  Someone pointed out to me that it is not easy to
find it on the website, and I will change that today.  (To date, we
have mostly had writer/editor volunteers, and so there hasn't been
much interest in our code.  But it is NOT proprietary, and it IS
available.)

> Standards for non-textual content?

(this was a question about gifs)

We haven't paid much attention to this, because the answer is so
obvious.  In the Nupedia data, there should be no GIF images.  (In
fact, there should be none on the website at all, as a form of protest,
but I must confess that I don't know off the top of my head if we 
do or do not.  No one has ever asked before.  :-) )

> Multimedia resources must be available in patent-free, royalty free formats 
> where the standards are also generally available to software developers.  
> Image formats such as PNG, and audio formats such as OggVorbis are some 
> examples of formats that fit this definition.

Absolutely.

> How likely is the license for Nupedia going to change to something
> not quite as free (IE blatent corporate exploitation of a group of
> volunteers)?

One of the strengths of the gFDL is that it permits forking.  And with
the source code of the website available, as well as all of the data in
all formats used (both the canonical XML and also the database files),
then the chances of this are quite small.

(Actually, I know that the chances are zero, because I'm in charge.)

> None of this is impossible to resolve, or even that difficult.  I do
> think, however, these are some legitamate concerns that should be
> addressed before a merger between GNUpedia and Nupedia were to
> happen.

Absolutely!  We want to make everyone comfortable.

--Jimbo



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