Rufus Pollock wrote: > * What do you think the Open Knowledge Foundation is?
An attempt to increase "User Freedom" for data similar (in my opinion identical) to the FSF's goal to increase "User Freedom" for code. > * What do you think it should be doing? There is no reason to treat data separately from code. Whether it be Genetic-info (DNA), Music, Video, software, CAD-files, indigenous knowledge, techniques and information about how to accomplish any thing, etc. it is all the 'design' part of nature. The GNU GPL tries to "lock-open" copyrightable design. This works for code or data - it is the same. The 'source' of a movie is the original, uncompressed data that is needed to make *quality* changes to that design. But the GNU GPL does not, and cannot go far enough because it is only addressing the 'design' half of reality. The GNU AGPL tries to poke the material sphere by legislating source be delivered even when a design is being 'expressed' on resources the user does not own and then being made available in a 'remote' fashion to that user. > * What impact should it be having? The most potent direction we could travel (and this is the same message I have for the FSF) is to realize "User Freedom" can and must be insured for the 'material' or 'physical' components that are required to "host" any and all designs. Licensing that "locks-open" a design is good and needed, but it can only go so far because all design requires space, mass and energy for storage and 'expression'. The next step is to devise a "Terms of Operation" or a legally binding Contract that groups of users can choose to apply to some "Physical Sources" they will then use to "host" things such as email, video, audio, home-pages, wikis, etc. ... and even the far more important goals of housing, plants and animals for food and medicine production, factories, mines, ... ANY and ALL material Means of Production. We can and must learn how to share Physical Sources and begin ignoring the for-profit corporations that want to withhold our freedom through artificial scarcity and purposeful destruction of our otherwise natural inheritance. Sincerely, Patrick Anderson _______________________________________________ okfn-discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.okfn.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/okfn-discuss
