Re: [Savannah-hackers] savannah.gnu.org: submission of Improved Unix User Interface

[Loic Dachary]

        Hi,

        I think there is a misunderstanding. Looking at the code
during the submission is a way for us to help people so that the
license information is properly included. It is often the case that
developers are not aware that copyright notices should be included
in order for the software to be Free Software. Doing so at this stage
is therefore often very useful. In some rare cases the developers 
withdraw because they did not really mean to publish Free Software
but this is the exception.

        Now you may find that this way of doing things is a burden to
you. Please understand that browsing projects afterwards would be very
hard for us, mainly because developers may not be ready to answer us
at the time we ask. We do it at submission time because both the
developers and us are available and the license problems can be solved
rapidly.

        If it is hard for you to change the current web site, you can
send us a tarbal with the code including the license information.

        Thanks for you help,

P.S. As a side note please understand that Savannah is a project
developped and maintained by volunteers, not employees.

Chad Slaughter writes:
 > On Mon, Nov 19, 2001 at 11:20:06PM +0100, Loic Dachary wrote:
 > >    If you don't include a copyright notice at the beginning of
 > > the files, the software is not Free Software. That's the way it is.
 > > Saying somewhere else that your intent is to make it Free Software
 > > does not help, you have to say this within the source files.
 > 
 > I am not trying to get into an argument over the issue. 
 > 
 > Maybe my situation is unique, but try and look at it from my point of 
 > view. I'm requesting a resource from you. You come back making 
 > additional requests beyond those I've already agreed. As part of the 
 > request I made certain agreements, namely the software I plan to use
 > the site for would be free software. Since I made the request I obviously
 > agree to them. Then you wanted to know where the existing software was.
 > I showed you the code I have to date. Now you want me to make more changes
 > with no benefit. Changing the site where the code is currently housed is
 > a hassle for me. And since there is no guarantee you'll accept my request
 > even after the changes. So I am wondering why do it? 
 > 
 > Now lets say you change the situation and and your procedure.  
 > You are going to accept my project or not. The reality is this decision has
 > nothing to do with my code. For I could have just lied and said there was 
 > no code then upload my existing code and you wouldn't have known the 
 > difference. And in all likely hood you would have accepted the project on
 > its face and we wouldn't be wasting each others time with this email.
 > 
 > So why not add a provision, which was part of the request but since you
 > sent me this "clarification" you must not believe in the power of the 
 > request.
 > 
 > So why don't you just pretend the code doesn't exist and make a decision.
 > Then add the a further clarification to the project stating all code MUST
 > be label according to the following rules... Then all problems are solved.
 > 
 > It solves my problem because now I have a reason to change the code because
 > I get a direct benefit. It solves your problem because you don't have to 
 > examine any code not on savannah. You can then do spot checks of all the
 > code on savannah and any project not following the rules gets a warning or
 > whatever. 
 > 
 > As it stands, I feel I have something to offer people. I am willing to
 > offer it as free software because I believe in the idea. Now I think FSF 
 > should do everything they can to make it easy for people to make software 
 > free
 > and to not put up stumbling blocks. This is a stumbling block. Of course I
 > could be wrong about the goals of the FSF. If they want to make all software
 > free they need to make it easy. 
 > 
 > So I'll asking you to reconsider my project on its face.  Maybe I should
 > be addressing this to others but as a moderator I'm sure you are in a 
 > position
 > to get this problem to the right people.
 > 
 > Thanks for your time,
 > Chad
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > -- 
 > Chad Slaughter
 > slaught at lusars dot net

-- 
Loic   Dachary         http://www.dachary.org/  address@hidden
24 av Secretan         http://www.senga.org/      address@hidden
75019    Paris         T: 33 1 42 45 09 16          address@hidden
        GPG Public Key: http://www.dachary.org/loic/gpg.txt