Re: [Fsuk-manchester] Talking about software distributions on the list

[Simon Ward]

A revised version.

Free software distribution is no longer used interchangably with free
system distribution. Instead, I have added a bit at the end about it.
I wanted to convey that just because this uses the term “free system
distribution” it does not mean you can promote a system as a “free
software distribution” instead.

I have removed the reference to talking about the distributions. In
effect, this has made the guidelines a little more clear and concise. In
doing so, this removed the need to highlight the lack of policy towards
being a free system distribution when talking about a non‐ free system
distribution. Is that a problem?

In changing the wording of promoting systems that do not have a policy
of being free to essentially say “don’t promote at all” rather than
“don’t promote as a free system distribution”. It made me think, the
issue is promotion of systems (or events) on the list, not what words to
use to promote them. I think all instances of “promoted as a free system
distribution” should be replaced simply with “promoted”.

That then almost removes the need to refer to “free software
distribution” and “free system distribution”, avoiding the ambiguity
that comes with.


---BEGIN---

Guidelines for Promoting System Distributions
---------------------------------------------

Any distribution that meets all of the criteria in the Guidelines for
Free System Distributions[1] may be promoted as a “free system
distribution.”

A distribution that does not quite meet the criteria due to one or two
minor problems, but aims to be a free system distribution may be
promoted: as a free system distribution as long as the caveats are also
mentioned; or as a distribution that is not a free system distribution
but aims to be a free system distribution.

A distribution that does not meet the criteria, and does not have a
policy towards being a free system distribution, or recommends non‐free
software should not be promoted.


Additional Notes
----------------
“Free system distribution” is recommended over “free software
distribution” as a more accurate term for those systems that meet the
guidelines. It is not always clear what is meant by “free software
distribution” since it means different things to different people.
Nonetheless, promotion of any system that does not at least meet the
guidelines as “free software distributions” should be avoided.

----END----

Changes
-------
2013-03-17:

  * Changed title.
  * Removed explicit definitions.
  * Removed reference to “free software distribution” from the
    guidelines themselves.
  * Added note about use of “free system distribution” and “free
    software distribution.”
  * Restrict to promotion; reference to talking about things removed.
  * Promotion of systems with no policy to be free could have been
    promoted on closer reading, which was unintentional—removed “as a
    free system distribution”.
  * Guideline for non‐free systems is gone as a result of the above.

2013-03-02:

  * Removed most of the diatribe.
  * Added explicit definitions.
  * Added rationale.
  * Relaxed guideline for talking about nearly free software
    distributions as free software distributions.
  * Removed references to specific distributions (though these could be
    re‐introduced as examples).

[1]: http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html

Simon
-- 
A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a
simple system that works.—John Gall

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