Scott James Remnant <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> a tapoté :
> > I think you have an extraordinary large definition of software,
> > unfortunately not shared by all the dictionnaries I know.
> >
> > For most people on earth, I do not think that software defines "theses
> > works" (philosophical/political/historical texts) that may be "on
> > computer".
> >
> However the FSF have decided to include these
> "philosophical/political/historical texts" as part of the "associated
> documentation pertaining to the operation of a computer system".
>
> This therefore makes them part of that associated documentation, and
> thus includes them in your own quoted definition of Software.
> Discussion of whether or not they fit the Debian Free Software
> Guidelines is very relevant.
>
> If those texts *were not* part of the software documentation (and
> therefore Software), and were a document distributed separately, we
> wouldn't even need to have this discussion.
Sure.
But being part of a documentation does not change the nature of a
text.
The philosophical/political/historical text really document the
software. But do not at all pertain to the operation of a computer
system (how could it be?).
> > However, you can have your own definition of software. But it's
> > seems to me just a poor way to defend what seems to be your true
> > feeling: that every texts, of every kind, on computer or not,
> > should follow the Free Software rules.
> >
> My personal feeling... Software is computer programs and all associated
> documentation, data files, etc. Debian is a distribution of software so
> should include nothing not matching this definition.
Ok, so it should not include philosophical/political/historical texts,
whatever the fact they may be invariant or not.
That's something I can understand.
> Philosophical, political and historical texts, when included in a
> program's documentation, are part of that software.
I do not agree. If I quote Kant in a History Scientific paper, it does
not makes this Kant's text I quoted an History-related related
text. It would still be a philosophic text, included in a
History-related text.
--
Mathieu Roy
Homepage:
http://yeupou.coleumes.org
Not a native english speaker:
http://stock.coleumes.org/doc.php?i=/misc-files/flawed-english
