[Gwm-general] Draft One of "Libre Documentation"

[Tabatha Persad]

Hi there!

 

Okay, I've read the GWM Objectives, done some research, and have a first draft of the documentation that will outline the definition of "Libre Documentation."

 

This is plain text, sent in the body of this message (with the exception of the titles, which I put in bold for easier reading).  I'll save the HTML formatting until I hear back on anything I need to add or remove from what I have so far!

 

Please send feedback!

 

Thanks,

Tabatha

 

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Libre Documentation & Libre Software Defined

In order to better understand what is meant by the term "Libre Documentation," we need to

explore what Libre means.

 

To better illustrate this, let us look at the definition of Libre from a "Libre Software"

standpoint.  Libre Software is also known as "Free Software," but this is usually where the

definition becomes skewed.

 

What most people define as free software is not necessarily really free because it may be

restricted, in that the user may not have access to the source code.  The term "free" with

respect to software and documentation is often misinterpreted to mean "gratis", or free of

cost.

 

In an open source community, this is not an accurate representation of free software, so

instead, the term Libre is used.  In Spanish and French, Libre, as opposed to Gratis, indicates

liberty or freedom rather than price. 

 

In order for a software application to be considered Libre, these following conditions need

to be met:

 

1.  The user has the liberty or freedom to run the program, for any purpose.
2.  The user has the liberty to understand how the program works and adapt it to his or her

needs.  This means the source code of the program is available to view and edit.
3.  The user has the liberty to make improvements to the software and release those

improvements to the public, for the benefit of the entire community.
4.  The user has the liberty to redistribute copies or modified copies of the program.

 

Likewise, for Libre Documentation, the same definition applies.  Libre Documentation is

documentation that one can copy or enhance as long as these inherent freedoms are met.  In

addition, for documentation to be classified as Libre, we need to consider the following:

 

1.  Documents should come with a human readable and editable source (html, txt, xml are ok,

pdf dvi or ps are not, since they cannot be edited without proprietary software)
2.  They should be copylefted so that new versions can be created from the exisiting base,

just like a software fork
3.  They may be sold, or given away - this freedom should not be impaired by additional

requirements (such as 'no commercial printing allowed')

 

Protecting Documentation and Software with Licenses

 

In order to protect these freedoms, software licenses have been developed to ensure that

the software is able to meet the "Libre" qualifications. The license also protects these

programs from becoming proprietary, or commercial, whereby the source code becomes closed

off from the user.

 

Licenses have also been developed for Libre Documentation, most notably the GNU Free

Documentation License, or FDL.  Other documentation licenses include the FreeBSD

Documentation License, Apple's Common Documentation License, and the Open Publication

License, however it must be stated that some are restrictive and not compatible with the GNU

FDL. 

 

The GNU Free Documentation License states its purpose clearly in the preamble, which is

quoted below:

 

"0. PREAMBLE

 

The purpose of this License is to make a manual, textbook, or other written document "free"

in the sense of freedom: to assure everyone the effective freedom to copy and redistribute

it, with or without modifying it, either commercially or noncommercially.  Secondarily, this

License preserves for the author and the publisher a way to get credit for their work, while

not being considered responsible for modifications made by others.

 

This license is a kind of "copyleft", which means that derivative works of the document must

themselves be free in the same sense.  It complements the GNU General Public License, which

is a copyleft license designed for free software.

 

We have designed this License in order to use it for manuals for free software, because free

software needs free documentation:  a free program should come with manuals providing the

same freedoms that the software does.  But this License is not limited to software manuals;

it can be used for any textual work, regardless of subject matter or whether it is published

as a printed book.  We recommend this License principally for works whose purpose is

instruction or reference."

 

Copyright vs. Copyleft

 

Copyrights exist in order to protect authors of documentation or software from unauthorized

copying or selling of their work.  A copyright infers that only with the author or

permission

may such activities take place. 

 

A Copyleft, on the other hand, provides a method for software or documentation to be

modified, and distributed back to the community, provided it remains Libre.

 

In the case of Libre Documentation, an author can place his or her copyright into the

document, and use distribution terms, such as those in the GNU Free Documentation License,

which gives everyone the rights to use, modify, and redistribute the code, but only if those

distribution terms remain unchanged.  This ensures that the source code and the freedoms are

legally inseparable.  This is known as "copyleft".

 

If a program or document was uncopyrighted and in the public domain, changes could be made

and the program or document could be re-distributed as a proprietary product.  The copyleft

ensures that not only is the original source free, but that all modifications must be made

free, and permission is granted for all who follow in modifying that same program or

document, provided they abide by these terms.

 

Applying a free software or free documentation license to an application or document

qualifies the product as Libre, and protects the open source community at large from it

becoming commercial or proprietary.

 

 

Resources:

 

1.  The GWM Objectives, http://www.7un.net/gnu/index.php
2.  The GNU Free Documentation License, http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html
3.  Categories of Free and Non-Free Software, http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html
4.  Various Licenses and Comments About Them, http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html

(of course I will FDL this when I'm done!)