Re: Firefox themes as Art files - ADDENDUM

[Giuseppe Scrivano]

al3xu5 / dotcommon <address@hidden> writes:

> ok... i just say (for all the reason i told) that using non-free
> themes with gnu icecat is a limitation of users freedom and is
> problematic respect to the Guidelines for Free System Distributions

then these guidelines are not completely compatible with the GNU ones.
As a GNU project, IceCat follows the GNU guidelines, if we think that
something should be changed there then we need to move this discussion
to a wider audience.


> in dubt, why risk?

We don't want to risk, but I don't want to advise users to don't use
something if they can do without problems.


>> Even trivial non-free JavaScript programs are not considered an issue
>> but an extension of HTML.  Usually, code inside CSS is just define
>> some event callbacks, can it be really considered code?
>
> this is an open question... 
> but if our aim is freedom i think the answer should be clear

Yes, we must find a clear answer.  From my experience, all I ever saw in
CSS can be considered as a simple extension to HTML and not software.


>> > - if we do not consider to be free all the artwork included in a
>> >   software, then the same shuold be done for all logos, icons,
>> > colours, buttons, etc.???
>> 
>> Yes.
>
> do not is enough to avoid non-free themes???

It is the same question, if there wouldn't be problems with non-free
themes then the same arguments can be used to prove there are not
problems with logos, icons, colours, buttons...


> probably you are right giuseppe...
> in my opinion, GNU is not very clear about some basical issues... and
> sometimes seems to contradict itself...

if these issues are not completely clear, then we need to ask them to
try to make them clearer.


> giuseppe, can html embed executable code? should we check one-by-one
> all the web pages?

HTML _can_ embed executable code, that is the JavaScript trap described
here: [http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap.html].
In reality it should be checked, since JS is executed on your machine,
but it is easily understandable that it is not possible while with
themes it is possible.


> the point, i think, is not if they can embed code... the point is
> if they are released with or wirtout a free licence

I still think that the point is if they embed code or not, in the first
case the theme is considered software, in the second it is an artwork.


> otherwise, what is the diference between IceCat and FF? why
> peolple shoul use IceCat and not FF?

IceCat doesn't use non-free plugins and addons, that are software.


Cheers,
Giuseppe