Re: "Private Foundation-List" Petition for referendum

[Richard Stallman <rms gnu org>]

    5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups

    I am being discriminated against because I can not make improvements
    or discuss where the project is headed.

The definition of open source is a criterion for software licenses;
I don't think it applies to mailing list usage at all.
But I cannot speak for the Open Source Initiative.

In the case of the Free Software Definition, I wrote it,
so I can say this is a misinderstanding of it.

    The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements (and
    modified versions in general) to the public, so that the whole
    community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a
    precondition for this.

This freedom applies to any particular user.  You have a freedom
to make modified versions.

    This means that any discussions should be made public.

I don't think that follows.

The four freedoms state what a free software license must permit to
any single user.  It says nothing about how users that choose to work
together ought to communicate or make their decisions.  If project A
has a public discussion list, and project B has a private one, they
can both qualify as free software.

    How can I improve a program if I don't
    know where the project is headed and reasons why the project is headed
    in that direction (what are the goals of the project)?

You can improve a program by making a copy and changing it.
The point is that you are free to do this.  You are not obliged
to discuss it with anyone, get approval, etc.

I think that you are talking about how to go about cooperating with
others on a joint project.  That's a different issue.  A free software
license gives people the freedom to organize a project to maintain
their version of the program.  A free software license does not say
how they can or can't organize this project, so they can do it however
they wish.

If you want them to put your changes in their version, you need to
work with their arrangements.  But a free software license gives you
the freedomt make and distribute your own modified version on your own.