On Wed, 13 Aug 2003, MJ Ray wrote: MR>Fedor Zuev <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: MR>> Of course, you can claim that the very special definition of MR>> "software" should and will be used for the sole purpose of the MR>> interpretation of DFSG and Social Contract. [...]
MR>Yes! We use that very special definition listed in dictionaries MR>and understood by many people here! (Nick Phillips, for example, MR>in MR>http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2003/debian-legal-200308/msg00247.html MR>) You want a dictionary war? OK. Lets it begin. ----------------- http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/c1/computer-prog.asp http://www.bartleby.com/65/co/computer-prog.html computer program - a series of instructions that a computer can interpret and execute; programs are also called software .... ---------------------------------- *** http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm?term=software SOFTWARE - Instructions for the computer. A series of instructions that performs a particular task is called a "program". The two major categories of software are "system software" and "application software." <...> A common misconception is that software is data. It is not. Software tells the hardware how to process the data. Software is "run." Data are "processed." *** http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/s/s0540200.html (American Heritage Dictionary) software n. Computer Science The programs, routines, and symbolic languages that control the functioning of the hardware and direct its operation. *** http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861709912 (Encarta Enciclopedia) software noun programs and applications for computer: computer programs and applications, such as word processing or database packages, that can be run on a particular computer system ( often used before a noun) [Mid-19th century. Originally, in plural, "soft goods." The modern sense dates from the mid-20th century.] *** http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=75526&dict=CALD (Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary) software noun [U] the instructions which control what a computer does; computer programs: He's written a piece of software which calculates your tax returns for you. **** http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=software (The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing) software <programming> (Or "computer program", "program", "code") The instructions executed by a computer, as opposed to the physical device on which they run (the "hardware"). The term was coined by the eminent statistician, John Tukey. Programs stored on non-volatile storage built from integrated circuits (e.g. ROM or PROM) are usually called firmware. Software can be split into two main types - system software and application software or application programs. System software is any software required to support the production or execution of application programs but which is not specific to any particular application. Examples of system software would include the operating system, compilers, editors and sorting programs. Examples of application programs would include an accounts package or a CAD program. Other broad classes of application software include real-time software, business software, scientific and engineering software, embedded software, personal computer software and artificial intelligence software. Software includes both source code written by humans and executable machine code produced by assemblers or compilers. It does not usually include the data processed by programs unless this is in a format such as multimedia which depends on the use of computers for its presentation. This distinction becomes unclear in cases such as spread sheets which can contain both instructions (formulae and macros) and data. There are also various intermediate compiled or semi-compiled, forms of software such as library files and byte-code. Some claim that documentation (both paper and electronic) is also software. Others go further and define software to be programs plus documentation though this does not correspond ------------------------- with common usage. ------------------ The noun "program" describes a single, complete and more-or-less self-contained list of instructions, often stored in a single file, whereas "code" and "software" are uncountable nouns describing some number of instructions which may constitute one or more programs or part thereof. Most programs, however, rely heavily on various kinds of operating system software for their execution. The nounds "code" and "software" both refer to the same thing but "code" tends to suggest an interest in the implementation details whereas "software" is more of a user's term. *** http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software Computer software (Redirected from Software) Software is a generic term for organized collections of computer data and instructions, often broken into two major categories: system software that provides the basic non-task-specific functions of the computer, and application software which is used by users to accomplish specific tasks. System software is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the individual hardware components of a computer system so that other software and the users of the system see it as a functional unit without having to be concerned with the low-level details such as transferring data from memory to disk, or rendering text onto a display. Generally, system software consists of an operating system and some fundamental utilities such as disk formatters, file managers, display managers, text editors, user authentication (login) and management tools, and networking and device control software. Application software, on the other hand, is used to accomplish specific tasks other than just running the computer system. Application software may consist of a single program, such as an image viewer; a small collection of programs (often called a software package) that work closely together to accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet or text processing system; a larger collection (often called a software suite) of related but independent programs and packages that have a common user interface or shared data format, such as Microsoft Office, which consists of closely integrated word processor, spreadsheet, database, etc.; or a software system, such as a database management system, which is a collection of fundamental programs that may provide some service to a variety of other independent applications. Software is created with programming languages and related utilities, which may come in several of the above forms: single programs like script interpreters, packages containing a compiler, linker, and other tools; and large suites (often called Integrated Development Environments) that include editors, debuggers, and other tools for multiple languages. *** And, from the myself add that all english-russian dictionaries translates "software" equally to the "computer programs". -------------- But, even _your_ definition does not make anything better. Ok, I can understand, why after bundling documentation with software the resulting package may be called software. (this is the exactly what says your definition). But it does not help to understand, why you wish to call software documents, which is never was related or assotiated with any particular program. >>>How Debian choses to apply its principals of freedom and to what works >>>it choses to apply them has NO RELATION to what will land you in jail, >>>NO RELATION to what is legal >> You can not ignore the existence of a laws even if you will >> try twice as hard. >Please explain how your local laws giving you more rights over a >copyright You know any non-local laws? You know any "local" laws for which this is not true? >text means that the DFSG should not still be satisfied. I am not say anyting about DFSG should or should not be satisfied. Yet. I say, only, that "All digital is a software! Really!" theory is harmful. Harmful for every fair purpose, including the justification of application the DFSG to non-software packages. May be there a other justifications for that. I do not know. I do not care. I just walked around and heard silly, dangerous talks.
