Re: [Bug-gnupedia] Content Format

[Mike Warren]

Bob Dodd <address@hidden> writes:

> The danger I see is that the submissions path as you suggest would
> effecively discriminate against some contributors.

It wouldn't; it would just discriminate against some formats of
*contribution*, which is quite different.

> The tools available for the likes of TEI and Latex are, generally
> speaking at least, not available on most peole's desk tops, [..]

But ASCII text editors are.

> The contributors to the GNE though, are different...

Are they? We don't have very many at all yet, and there's not much
indication that vast numbers of people will be put off by not being
able to submit in Word format (or any other non-free format).

> So, for some, TEI and Latex (without a nice Word-style front end at
> least) will be an indecipherable foreign language; [..]

Then they can use the Web-based submission forms or ASCII.

> Accepting (and converting) Word submissions is just one one quick and
> dirty way of acheiving this, and if we don't want to do it that way,
> fine.

If it's possible to make truly free (as in speech) translators for
Word, then fine. I'm not convinced it is.

> Mike, I'm sure its not your intention to discriminate against anybody, [..]

No, it's not; my intension is to discriminate against non-free formats.

> I'm not suggesting that for a moment, I just ask that you think more
> about the background of the people who may want to participate in GNE.

I see lots of University professors contributing. Many of them use
LaTeX, in my experience. Even TEI came from a Humanities initiative...

> It would be a great shame if by an accident of design, we were to
> reduce the potential supply and/or quality of contributions to GNE.

If that reduction is for a good reason (i.e. freedom), then I see no
problem.

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