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[DotGNU]tiny manifesto patch
From: |
Stephen Compall |
Subject: |
[DotGNU]tiny manifesto patch |
Date: |
Sun, 01 Dec 2002 16:39:12 -0600 |
User-agent: |
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.3a) Gecko/20021128 |
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I made some changes to the DotGNU Manifesto document; just some small
ones, at that. Have a look (attached).
- --
Stephen Compall
Also known as S11001001
DotGNU `Contributor' -- http://dotgnu.org
Sometimes I think that perhaps one of the best things I could do with
my life is: find a gigantic pile of proprietary software that was a
trade secret, and start handing out copies on a street corner so it
wouldn't be a trade secret any more, and perhaps that would be a much
more efficient way for me to give people new free software than
actually writing it myself; but everyone is too cowardly to even take
it.
-- RMS, Lecture at KTH (Sweden), 30 October 1986
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--- dgmanifesto.texi 2002-12-01 14:40:20.000000000 -0600
+++ dgmanifesto-3s11.texi 2002-12-01 16:30:22.000000000 -0600
@@ -188,16 +188,16 @@
for software to be shared, software is shared. This angers many
software manufacturers who don't see that it's only normal for
software to be shared (or do and prefer it not to happen). Free
-Software manufacturers however aren't angry, for sharing is the nature
-of Free Software manufacturers.
+Software manufacturers aren't angry, however, for sharing is in their
+nature.
-This situation has resulted from the software-sharing attitude: the
-Internet has become a sharing place for all kinds of software, and has
-proven the power of this system for many years now. But it won't be
-for much longer. A new approach to software and the Internet is
-developing and it's called webservices.
+As a result of the software-sharing attitude, the Internet has become
+a sharing place for all kinds of software, and has proven the power of
+this system for many years now. But it won't be for much longer. A
+new approach to software and the Internet is developing, called
+webservices.
-Webservices are basically applications running on a remote machine and
address@hidden are basically applications running on a remote machine and
accessible over the Internet. They mostly behave just like normal
applications installed on your computer, but they can run somewhere on
the other side of the planet. Webservices also differ from normal apps
@@ -207,20 +207,20 @@
remoting).
The whole concept is pretty neat. But it carries some threats. The
-biggest one is known as ``Microsoft address@hidden''. MS address@hidden is
-an implementation of a webservice supporting system. There are some
+biggest one is known as ``Microsoft address@hidden''. MS address@hidden is
+an implementation of a webservice supporting system. There are some
serious dangers to user freedom that come with this new framework:
@enumerate
@item
-It's propietary software. Don't be fooled by any Shared Source talk,
+It's proprietary software. Don't be fooled by any Shared Source talk,
Shared Source is far away from Free Software or even Open
-Source. Plus, it doesn't even begin to address the freedoms that
-software users deserve: you can only get those with Free Software.
+Source. Plus, it doesn't even begin to address the freedoms that
+software users deserve; you can only get those with Free Software.
@item
a user authentication system, called Passport, that aims to centralize
-your network identity
+your @dfn{network identity}, or information about you stored online;
@item
vendor lock-in.
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@
webservices are too powerful to ignore. That's why there is there is
DotGNU. DotGNU is a Free Software webservice supporting system. The
central idea behind DotGNU is to protect the internet from the effects
-of propietary central server systems like Passport and from the effect
+of proprietary central server systems like Passport and from the effect
of closed file formats, because these things make interoperability
between programs and between people a lot harder. In short DotGNU is
about keeping the Internet open.
@@ -262,17 +262,18 @@
We do that by providing a complete, open Free Software platform on
which webservices run and by providing support applications for
webservices. For example we will create an open authorization
-application specification. In another words we put up a standard for
-authorization systems. We even deliver at least one such system.
+application specification, a new standard for authorization
+systems. We even deliver at least one such implementation of this
+system.
The core idea behind the DotGNU authorization system is that you
-should be free to store you virtual identity (our term for what in MS
+should be free to store your virtual identity (our term for what in MS
Passport is called a passport) anywhere you desire. You should be free
to either subscribe to a commercial webservice to store your virtual
identity or store it locally on your own computer or something else:
we don't care as long as you have the freedom to decide. Of course you
-are also free to chose the application to manage your virtual identity
-with.
+are also free to choose the application with which to manage your
+virtual identity.
The effect of this freedom is that you don't need to be as worried about
crackers as when you were using a central server system together with
@@ -286,30 +287,31 @@
@dgmanifesto-subsection{Keeping the internet open}
A threat the internet is currently faced with is the rise of
-propietary protocols. Propietary protocols are protocols which you can
+proprietary protocols. Proprietary protocols are protocols which you can
only use if you pay the people who invented it and sign an
non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in which you promise not to tell
anybody else how the protocol works.
-It's clear that if propietary protocols become the standard Free
-Software will not be able to stay compatible with propietary software
-using those protocols. But users will suffer too since propietary
-protocols allow the 'owners' to decide who can use them, possibly
-resulting in monopolization of the internet.
+It's clear that if proprietary protocols become the standard Free
+Software will not be able to stay compatible with proprietary software
+using those protocols. But users will suffer too since proprietary
+protocols allow the ``owners'' to decide who can use them, very
+probably resulting in the same monopolization of the internet that has
+resulted in the software realm thanks to proprietary software.
It's very likely that in the future one or more companies will try to
-create such propietary standards and use them in conjuction with
+create such proprietary standards and use them in conjuction with
webservices.
-An fictional (but very possible) example of this is a propietary
-protocol for communication between webservices, which is shared with
-others under a high fee and the promise the others webservices will
-only use the propietary protocol for communication.
+An fictional (but likely) example of this is a proprietary protocol for
+communication between webservices, which is only shared with others
+under a high fee and an extracted promise that the others' webservices
+will only use the proprietary protocol for communication.
If such a scenario ever become reality DotGNU @strong{will not} use
the protocol or endorse it in any possible way. We will even (if
needed) help develop alternatives so that Free Software can stay free
-from dirty business tactics.
+from such dirty business tactics.
DotGNU is committed to using and promoting only open royalty free
protocols. That's why one of it's major goals is to @strong{keep the
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- [DotGNU]tiny manifesto patch,
Stephen Compall <=