Henning Makholm writes: > Sure. Why, I *want* to be informed about typos. How would I be able > to correct them in the master source otherwise?
How many thousand times do you want to be informed of typos? Anthony Towns writes: > Because "honest attempt" is a little bit... vague. Henning Makholm writes: > That is intentional, it is an attempt on my behalf not to make further > development impossible lest we suddenly disappear from the internet. A copyright license is a legal document. When interpreting a legal document, one must always assume the worst-case meaning of any vague statements. > How could I improve the wording in that respect? By making it extremely unambiguous and definite. > Nobody objected to that part so far. The trouble is knowing there *is* > anything I'm entitled to use at all. You can never know everything. Consider these two scenarios: a) You keep the clause. Some people find it distasteful and don't use your software. Most comply and send you patches, and you use some of them. Some people ignore the clause, and distribute 'illegal' versions. Most of those that are any good soon become popular. You find them, incorporate them, and notify the authors of their error. Some of them join your community, some drop your software, and some ignore you. Most of the 'illegal' modifications that you never learn of are not anything you would have wanted. A very few are. b) You change the requirement to a request. Most authors of modifications comply and send you patches, and you use some. Some ignore the request and distribute their versions. Most of those that are any good soon become popular. You find them, incorporate them, and contact the author. Some of them join your community, and some continue to go their own way. Most of the modifications that you never learn of are of no use anyway. A very few are things you might have wanted. > Would there be any acceptable alternative that does not leave the door > wide open to malevolent abusers? What is the malevolent abuse you are concerned about and how would your notice clause prevent it? -- John Hasler [EMAIL PROTECTED] (John Hasler) Dancing Horse Hill Elmwood, WI
