Open Information

[torsten]

Dear Open Sourcers,

I'm currently involved in Luxembourg in information retrieval, processing and 
information. Having read quite a bit about Open Source, Linux, etc. I thought the same 
approach could be fruitfuland necessary for longer-lasting reference information 
(textual, visual, etc). There as well we have a risk of things being monopolized with 
all its well-known consequences.

So I took some time over the Christmas holidays and adapted some Open Source documents 
to the concept of Open Information, which could be actually a generalization of the 
Open Source concept. I attach the amended drafts of your Open Source Definition and 
its Ratioanale.

Could you please let me know what you think about this idea. Please look at the 
documents as quickly written Christmas drafts, far from being perfect.

Best wishes for the new year,
Torsten


______________________________________________

Get free e-mail at http://www.britannica.com

Title: Open Information Definition

[Translations available: NONE] The Open Information Definition (Version 0.1) Open information doesn't just mean access to information. The distribution terms of open-information documents must comply with the following criteria: 1. Free Redistribution The license may not restrict any party from selling or giving away the information as a component of an aggregate distribution containing information from several different sources. The license may not require a royalty or other fee for such sale. (rationale) 2. Readable Source Format The open-information document must include the complete information in a format that is readable, understandable and usable by an educated person without any knowledge of internal procedures of the information provider. For parts of the information that are only executable on a computer, the document must include source code. The formats used must have been documented extensively and must be publicly available free of charge on a continuous basis, they are referred to below as "readable source format". The license must allow distribution in readable source format as well as executable form. Where some form of a product is not distributed with readable source format, there must be a well-publicized means of obtaining the readable source format for no more than a reasonable reproduction cost -- preferably, downloading via the Internet without charge. The readable source format must be the preferred form in which a peer would modify the information. Deliberately obfuscated source format is not allowed. Intermediate forms such as the output of a preprocessor or translator are not allowed. (rationale) 3. Derived Works The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the original information. (rationale) 4. Integrity of The Author's Information. The license may restrict information from being distributed in modified form only if the license allows the distribution of "updates/deviations (?)" with the information for the purpose of modifying the information at build time. The license must explicitly permit distribution of documents built from modified information. The license may require derived works to carry a different name or version number from the original document. (rationale) 5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups. The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons. (rationale) 6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor. The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the information in a specific field of endeavor. For example, it may not restrict the program from being used in a business, or from being used for genetic research. (rationale) 7. Distribution of License. The rights attached to the information must apply to all to whom the information is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties. (rationale) 8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product. The rights attached to the information must not depend on the information's being part of a particular distribution. If the information is extracted from that distribution and used or distributed within the terms of the information's license, all parties to whom the information is redistributed should have the same rights as those that are granted in conjunction with the original distribution. (rationale) 9. License Must Not Contaminate Other Information. The license must not place restrictions on other information that is distributed along with the licensed information. For example, the license must not insist that all other information distributed on the same medium must be open-information documents. (rationale) Conformance (This section is not part of the Open Information Definition.) The OII Certified mark is OII's way of certifying that the license under which the information is distributed conforms to the OID; the generic term "Open Information" cannot provide that assurance, but we still encourage use of the term "Open Information" to mean conformance to the OID. Change history: 0.1 -- rough adaptation of the "Open Source Definition" (version 1.7) by the Open Source Initiative to the concept of Open Information.

Title: Rationale for the Open Information Definition

[Translations available: NONE] Rationale for the Open Information Definition The intent of the Open Information Definition is to write down a concrete set of criteria that we believe capture the essence of what the information community wants ''Open Information'' to mean -- criteria that ensure that items distributed under an open-information license will be available for independent peer review and continuous evolutionary improvement and selection, reaching levels of authority and reliability no closed product can attain. For the evolutionary process to work, we have to counter short-term incentives for people to stop contributing to the information gene pool. This means the license terms must prevent people from locking up information where very few people can see or modify it. When information providers distribute their information under OII approved licenses, they can apply the "OII Certified" mark to that information. This certification mark informs users of that information that the license complies with the intent of the Open Information Definition. 1. Free Redistribution (back) By constraining the license to require free redistribution, we eliminate the temptation to throw away many long-term gains in order to make a little short-term sales money. If we didn't do this, there would be lots of pressure for cooperators to defect. 2. Readable Source Format (back) We require access to un-obfuscated source format because you can't evolve information without modifying it. Since our purpose is to make evolution easy, we require that modification be made easy. 3. Derived Works (back) The mere ability to read information isn't enough to support independent peer review and rapid evolutionary selection. For rapid evolution to happen, people need to be able to experiment with and redistribute modifications. 4. Integrity of The Author's Information (back) Encouraging lots of improvement is a good thing, but users have a right to know who is responsible for the information they are using. Authors and maintainers have reciprocal right to know what they're being asked to support and protect their reputations. Accordingly, an open-information license must guarantee that information be readily available, but may require that it be distributed as pristine base information plus "updates/deviations (?)". In this way, "unofficial" changes can be made available but readily distinguished from the base information. 5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups. (back) In order to get the maximum benefit from the process, the maximum diversity of persons and groups should be equally eligible to contribute to open information. Therefore we forbid any open-information license from locking anybody out of the process. An OID-conformant license may warn licensees of applicable restrictions and remind them that they are obliged to obey the law; however, it may not incorporate such restrictions itself. 6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor. (back) The major intention of this clause is to prohibit license traps that prevent open information from being used commercially. We want commercial users to join our community, not feel excluded from it. 7. Distribution of License. (back) This clause is intended to forbid closing up information by indirect means such as requiring a non-disclosure agreement. 8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product. (back) This clause forecloses yet another class of license traps. 9. License Must Not Contaminate Other Software. (back) Distributors of open information have the right to make their own choices about their own distributions.