Jonathan Fine wrote:
Now to the problem. Debian guideline 5 states "The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons." The proposed LaTeX license defines the Current Maintainer. The license grants these person(s) privileges that are not granted to other licensees.
Henning Makholm wrote: > > We have a clear tradition on d-l that the non-discrimination guidline > only means that there must be some free terms that apply to everyone. > It is not a problem of specific groups receive *more* freedom than the > norm, as long as everyone has the freedoms described by the DFSG. Elsewhere in this thread I pointed out that every purchase is a sale, every more is a less, and so forth. But there's more to it than the meaning of words. It is about seeing the other person's point of view. If I know that my purchase is, for the other person, a sale, then I am better able to understand that person. Guideline 5 has been written to focus on the person(s) who are being discriminated against, rather than on those who are being favoured. One of the things I value about Debian is its inclusiveness and tolerance. Discrimination sets up differences. I don't know the history of this guideline, and of guideline 6. But to me, it is about inclusiveness and understanding. We are all human beings. Here is something we can share on an equal basis. This is the message of free software. Guideline 6 is also about not using free software licenses as an instrument of social and political policy. I hope these remarks are helpful. Please forgive me if you find them to be off-topic. Jonathan Fine Cambridge, U.K.
