RE: Minutes of the GNOME Board meeting March 25 2003

[Murray Cumming Comneon com]

> From: Richard Stallman [mailto:rms gnu org] 
> Sent: Montag, 21. April 2003 02:59
> To: GNOME Foundation
> Cc: Patrick Costello Sun COM; foundation-list gnome org
>     Sorry, the original version is not under a free license.  
> What's the
>     timeline on your Guide?
> 
> The crucial question is about the translated version; will that be
> free documentation?  If, through the GNOME Foundation's influence, the
> translation will be free although the original is not, then the GNOME
> Foundation is bringing about a big step forward.
> 
> However, none of us should participate in making or recommending the
> translation if it won't be free.  In order to exert leverage for free
> documentation, we have to send a clear message: that freeing the
> documentation is the only way to gain our participation or our
> endorsement for it.

I tend to agree. This is more than just recommending or linking to
something. If GNOME is entering into a business relationship to get
something published then it ought to be under a suitable license. 

I suspect, from reading the pdf extract, that much of the book's content is
rewriting/re-layout/translation (strangely, even the functions' parameter
names are translated) of the reference documentation. So that part could
just be replaced with the original free docs.

I'm CCing the book's author, Matthias Warkus so that he can comment.

Murray Cumming
murrayc usa net
www.murrayc.com