> Kal Lin
>
> I think we just have different definitions of "complete source."
> I consider complete source to be everything you produced to make
> the software. If you linked into a library that someone else
> produced then you have no control over releasing that code. That
> someone could license that library however they feel like (of
> course the library maker might have OGL restrictions him/herself).
> Anyways, this is a technical issue that can be clarified with
> the right definition at the top of the license.
The definition of 'complete source' is at the heart of my opposition to the
originally proposed language. I think any such definition is unnecessary to
uphold the principles of Open Gaming. Software should be just another form
of distribution. However, since software is not human-readable, I am
advocating a clause that requires that the Open Content which is contained
within and obscured by the software be simultaneously distributed in some
sort of human-readable form, be it paper or electronic.
> My understanding was that people wanted to see the source code
> of software that is based on OGL content so the community can
> further develop it.
I don't think that's actually the intent. I think the intent is to keep an
author from using OGL material in software and 'hiding' it away in the code.
> That's why I suggested machine-readable
> source code. But there is another technical issue here. Someone
> can produce a product that is software only and distribute via
> the Internet. There is no easy way to give them human-readable
> printed matter. There is an easy way to give them machine-readable
> PDF, PS or TXT files.
Human-readable is a medium-independent term. It could be paper or digital.
The term refers to which entitles can understand the material. As such,
TXT files are not machine-readable, since the computer doesn't understand
the content. I do not wish to require the distribution of paper material -
that would be a very bad thing.
> >"If the publication you are distributing includes software that contains
> >Open Game Content, a complete copy of all such Open Content must be
> >distributed with that software in a separate, human-readable form."
>
> by saying, "I implemented the SRD exactly. Here is a print out of
> the SRD."
What I am suggesting is "I implemented the SRD exactly. Here is a copy of
it." Either paper, PDF, carved in stone, or whatever. The OGL doesn't
care, how you distribute a document, so neither should it care with
software, so long as others can use the Open Content (an not the software)
for their own purposes. The OGL shouldn't be an Open Software license, it
should stick to gaming.
-Brad
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For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
