Subject:
RE: Linux Documentation needs much work and ideas
From:
"Paul Hendricksen" ####@####.####
Date:
26 Dec 2012 18:56:12 +0000
Message-Id: <!&!AAAAAAAAAAAYAAAAAAAAAF+K0OIWPRNHtH8KWC14LSMigQAAEAAAAB5gO4jCCsNOi8yc5Lcbk6gBAAAAAA==@gmail.com>
Roger is onto something.
To top that, I have to read it myself, but I do think there is a "time"
expiration or something. And if we move the documentation from one medium
as-is, then it can surly be modified. If there is a need for a second
version of the document to be made and the original content needs to be
modified, we can use the fancy typography tools to strike through the
current information and modify it to the new.
Respectfully,
Paul Hendricksen
-----Original Message-----
From: Roger ####@####.####
Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2012 9:53 AM
To: jdd; ####@####.####
Cc: Bcc: ####@####.####
Subject: Re: Linux Documentation needs much work and ideas
>if you have the knowledge to understand some of the wikis, you can take
>them one after the other and drop a link here to ask, depending what
>you think is
>usefull: remove them (or mark them as obsolete), copy them to the wiki
>(it's extremely easy is no formatting is necessary).
>
>For the HOWTOs without licence, we can't use them, but we can rewrite
>the same subject, anyway most are very old, so the content is probably
>to be completely rewritten
>
>thanks
>jdd
I think I've seen this topic come-up in the past.
Personally, I think you all are getting your panties tied in a knot over
nothing. I've never seen a legal battle over documentation, and if there
were, likely a cease & desist order would be issued by a Judge, and usually
obeyed.
Hence, if most of the documentation was likely submitted by ordinary users,
they're likely not going to worry about somebody simply copying their work
over to wiki as long as their names are cited within. I certainly wouldn't
have an issue. (Unless, I were a book publisher and making money from
tldp.org.)
However, there's always a few wanting to have fun. Or, the documentation
was submitted by a major corporation, such as intel.com and might have some
issues with copying the documentation. Since the documentation is remaining
within the same domain name *.tldp.org, I doubt even Intel (or name your
corp) would have any issues.
Basically, my rule of thumb, if using common sense, it should be OK. If
you're paranoid about licenses, then you can try contacting the owners'.
But personally, I'd just go ahead and do it based on the low risk -- from
what I see -- ie. no real money from tldp.org. If somebody makes noise,
then try to get along. If you get a cease & desist order from a Judge, then
yank the specific material. No big deal. Let's not get so paranoid that
you give yourselves reasons to do nothing. ;-) People can end-up living in
a self made prison, by being too paranoid. Remember, the theme of Linux and
GNU is Open Source. However, we need to be respectful to prevent people
from making explicit money from open source without following the GPL
licensing, etc.
My disclaimer, I'm no lawyer, but likely a lawyer will pretty much mimmick
what I just stated, as I've dealt with some risk assessment. Another thing
the lawyer will probably state, no Judge is going to waste time with such a
miniscule issue as third party documentation unless it infringes on
something making money.
One case scenario that one would need to be considered, if moving the
documentation to another seperate domain, which would hinder domain
advertisement/popularity. ie. gentoo-wiki.com documentation can't be moved
to wiki.gentoo.org, due to licensing. Supposedly has been tried to get
permission, and the owner of the domain supposedly refused -- all via
hearsay though. I have documentation on gentoo-wiki.com, and could care
less if it gets copied to gentoo.org, and would prefer the material to be
copied to gentoo.org as it's more stable. (ie. gentoo-wiki.com lost all
it's data after a year or so, and had to be all rewritten because the owner
didn't do backups.)
Personally, I don't see an issue with the documentation move to Wiki. If
somebody was concerned about their documentation licensing, then you'd
likely have them within a mental list already. If you speculate there's no
issue, you could go ahead and move the documentation, or if paranoid, try
contacting them and then move the data. Or, you already know they're insane
and don't want their data touched.
Another personal opinion, you should have stated the documentor was
submitting the documentation to tldp.org, and tldp.org has the right to do
with as it pleases. If somebody wanted to protect their documentation or
was concerned about licensing, they would likely use their own server to
host the material.
Shrugs. ... common sense.
Personally, I'd probably just go ahead and copy the darn stuff, so long as
my employer were not affected. ;-) Sorry for the long ramble, but had to
try to stop the pantie knot tieing contest!
--
Roger
http://rogerx.freeshell.org/
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