In another thread, Luis Villa <l...@tieguy.org> wrote: >[I'd also repeat my call of a few weeks back- if anyone has a few >hours to try to edit the FAQ into useful categories, let me know.]
Here's a preliminary categorization. I guess license-discuss is probably the most appropriate place to post this, since much of the FAQ is about licensing in one way or another. Any comments welcome. If I hear a lot of +1s, then I'll edit the FAQ page accordingly. If this gets a lot of comments, then we'll just see where the thread goes. Here are my proposed top-level categories: + Basics of Open Source + Distributing and Using Open Source Software + Commerce and Open Source + Using Our Logo, Linking to Us, Etc + Getting Help And here's the proposed breakdown of FAQ items: Basics of Open Source ===================== * Can Open Source software be used for commercial purposes? * Can I restrict how people use an Open Source licensed program? * Can I stop "evil people" from using my program? * What is "copyleft"? Is it the same as "open source"? * What is a "permissive" Open Source license? * Is <SOME PROGRAM> Open Source? * Can I call my program "Open Source" even if I don't use an approved license? * Is <SOME LICENSE> an Open Source license, even if it is not listed on your web site? * What about software in the "public domain"? Is that Open Source? * What about the Creative Commons "CC0" ("CC Zero") public domain dedication? Is that Open Source? Distributing and Using Open Source Software =========================================== * What if I do not want to distribute my program in source code form? Or what if I don't want to distribute it in either source or binary form? * Which Open Source license should I choose to release my software under? * How do I apply <SOME OPEN SOURCE LICENSE> to software I'm releasing? * Can I strip out the copyrights on Open Source code and put in my own? * Can I write proprietary code that links to a shared library that's open source? * I want to publish some code as Open Source code — can I get a license from you? * Is <SOME PHP PROGRAM> Open Source simply because it's written in PHP? * What is "distribution"? What does it mean to "distribute" a program? Is letting people use it on my server the same as distribution? * Someone is violating a copyleft license, for example by refusing to give me source code when they are required to. What can I do? Commerce and Open Source ======================== * How do I make money if anybody can sell my code? * Can I sell Open Source programs? Even if I haven't written it? * Does Open Source mean anybody else can use my name and logo? * Why did you approve Microsoft's licenses when they are attacking Open Source? Using Our Logo, Linking to Us, Etc ================================== * Can I use your corporate logo (green open keyhole saying "Open Source") or something very similar (different color / texture / words) on my product (hat, shirt, web page, etc)? * How much does it cost for a link on opensource.org to my website? * Can I use your corporate logo on my web page to link to you? * Can I link to your site? * Can I use one of your pages in a document I'm writing? Getting Help ============ * Can I ask a legal question here? * Can you help me find an Open Source programmer or program? * How do I unsubscribe from one of your mailing lists? * How can I join an open source project? * I have a thesis and I'm sending out a survey... _______________________________________________ License-discuss mailing list License-discuss@opensource.org http://projects.opensource.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/license-discuss