trans-coord/gnun/philosophy open-source-misses-...

[Yavor Doganov]

CVSROOT:        /sources/trans-coord
Module name:    trans-coord
Changes by:     Yavor Doganov <yavor>   10/02/01 19:10:09

Modified files:
        gnun/philosophy: open-source-misses-the-point.html 
                         words-to-avoid.html 

Log message:
        Automatic sync from the master www repository.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/trans-coord/gnun/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html?cvsroot=trans-coord&r1=1.16&r2=1.17
http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/trans-coord/gnun/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html?cvsroot=trans-coord&r1=1.22&r2=1.23

Patches:
Index: open-source-misses-the-point.html
===================================================================
RCS file: 
/sources/trans-coord/trans-coord/gnun/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html,v
retrieving revision 1.16
retrieving revision 1.17
diff -u -b -r1.16 -r1.17
--- open-source-misses-the-point.html   16 Oct 2009 18:10:07 -0000      1.16
+++ open-source-misses-the-point.html   1 Feb 2010 19:10:08 -0000       1.17
@@ -107,14 +107,16 @@
 problem&mdash;and this includes &ldquo;open source
 software.&rdquo;</p>
 
-<p>The <a href="http://opensource.org/docs/osd";>official
-definition of &ldquo;open source software&rdquo;</a> (which is 
-published by the Open Source Initiative and is too long to include here) was
-derived indirectly from our criteria for free software.  It is not the
-same; it is a little looser in some respects, so open source
-supporters have accepted a few licenses that we consider unacceptably
-restrictive of the users.  Nonetheless, it is fairly close to our
-definition in practice.</p>
+<p>The <a href="http://opensource.org/docs/osd";>official definition of
+&ldquo;open source software&rdquo;</a> (which is published by the Open
+Source Initiative and is too long to include here) was derived
+indirectly from our criteria for free software.  It is not the same;
+it is a little looser in some respects, so the open source people have
+accepted a few licenses that we consider unacceptably restrictive.
+Also, they judge solely by the license of the source code, whereas our
+criterion also considers whether a device will let you <em>run</em>
+your modified version of the program.  Nonetheless, their definition
+agrees with our definition in most cases.</p>
 
 <p>However, the obvious meaning for the expression &ldquo;open source
 software&rdquo;&mdash;and the one most people seem to think it
@@ -158,10 +160,18 @@
 <p>Another misunderstanding of &ldquo;open source&rdquo; is the idea
 that it means &ldquo;not using the GNU GPL.&rdquo; This tends to
 accompany another misunderstanding that &ldquo;free software&rdquo;
-means &ldquo;GPL-covered software.&rdquo; These are equally mistaken,
-since the GNU GPL is accepted as an open source license and most of
+means &ldquo;GPL-covered software.&rdquo; These are both mistaken,
+since the GNU GPL qualifies as an open source license and most of
 the open source licenses qualify as free software licenses.</p>
 
+<p>The term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; has been further stretched by
+its application to other activities, such as government, education,
+and science, where there is no such thing as source code, and where
+criteria for software licensing are simply not pertinent.  The only
+thing these activities have in common is that they somehow invite
+people to participate.  They stretch the term so far that it only means
+&ldquo;participatory&rdquo;.</p>
+
 <h3>Different Values Can Lead to Similar Conclusions&hellip;but Not Always</h3>
 
 <p>Radical groups in the 1960s had a reputation for factionalism: some
@@ -345,7 +355,7 @@
 <p>
 Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2009/10/16 18:10:07 $
+$Date: 2010/02/01 19:10:08 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>

Index: words-to-avoid.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /sources/trans-coord/trans-coord/gnun/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html,v
retrieving revision 1.22
retrieving revision 1.23
diff -u -b -r1.22 -r1.23
--- words-to-avoid.html 25 Jan 2010 19:10:07 -0000      1.22
+++ words-to-avoid.html 1 Feb 2010 19:10:08 -0000       1.23
@@ -276,20 +276,24 @@
 <p>
 It is a mistake to describe the free software community, or any human
 community, as an &ldquo;ecosystem,&rdquo; because that word implies
-the absence of (1) intention and (2) ethics.  In an ecosystem, species
-evolve according to their fitness: if a species is weak and goes
-extinct, that's neither right nor wrong, merely an ecological
-phenomenon.  The term &ldquo;ecosystem&rdquo; implicitly suggests a
-attitude of nonjudgmental observation: don't ask how what <em>should</em>
-happen, just study what does happen.</p>
+the absence of ethical judgment.</p>
+
+<p>
+The term &ldquo;ecosystem&rdquo; implicitly suggests a attitude of
+nonjudgmental observation: don't ask how what <em>should</em> happen,
+just study and explain what <em>does</em> happen.  In an ecosystem,
+some organisms consume other organisms.  We do not ask whether it is
+fair for an owl to eat a mouse or for a mouse to eat a plant, we only
+observe that they do so.  Species' populations grow or shrink
+according to the conditions; this is neither right nor wrong, merely
+an ecological phenomenon.</p>
 
 <p>
 By contrast, beings that adopt an ethical stance towards their
-surroundings, and have ideas of ethical responsibility, can decide to
-preserve things that, on their own, would tend to vanish&mdash;such as
-civil society, democracy, human rights, peace, public health, clean
-air and water, endangered species, traditional arts&hellip;and
-computer users' freedom.
+surroundings can decide to preserve things that, on their own, might
+vanish&mdash;such as civil society, democracy, human rights, peace,
+public health, clean air and water, endangered species, traditional
+arts&hellip;and computer users' freedom.
 </p>
 
 
@@ -686,7 +690,7 @@
 <p>
 Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2010/01/25 19:10:07 $
+$Date: 2010/02/01 19:10:08 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>