On Wed, 05 Jan 2005, Anand Kumria wrote: > We wrote the Debian /Free Software/ Guidelines, there isn't anything > stopping us from creating the Debian /Free Documentation/ Guidelines.
Indeed. And as you suggested, we can just let the maintainer choose whether a document is to follow the DFSG (because he feels it is part of the software itself) or the DFDG (because he feels it is just a document). This assumes the DFSG to be more strict than the DFDG, and it should reduce a bit any resistance against the DFDG (since a lot of people feel that essential documentation that comes with a program IS part of the software itself, and I am one of them). As for what could compose the DFDG, there is a farily good set of ideas on Manoj's page (which are in line with the DFSG): < begin quote > Freedoms for Documentation Analogous to the software program freedoms, we need to articulate the freedoms required for the subset of software called documentation. 1. The freedom to read the text, for any purpose. 2. The freedom to study how the text is written, and adapt it to your needs. Access to the text in the preferred form for modification is a precondition for this. This includes the ability to modify the work to fit in low memory situations, reference cards, PDA's, embedded devices, etc. 3. Freedom to reformat the document into a preferred format or medium (converting to braille, or speech, or hardcopy, or postscript, etc). 4. The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor. 5. The freedom to improve the text, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. Access to the preferred form for modification is a precondition for this. For program documentation, this implies being able to change the documentation to reflect the changes in the program. 6. Freedom to translate the text into any other language. 7. The freedom to keep your modifications, or even your possession of a copy of the text, confidential. < end quote > IF we ever add some sort of rule that lets less-free documents make it to Debian, I'd strongly suggest that said rule should only be applicable to **TECHNICAL** standards such as RFCs, W3C documents, ISO documents, IEEE documents, etc. -- "One disk to rule them all, One disk to find them. One disk to bring them all and in the darkness grind them. In the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie." -- The Silicon Valley Tarot Henrique Holschuh
