[Phpgroupware-developers] GIF issue solution

[Dan Kuykendall (Seek3r)]

No final decision has been made, but most of the core team has agreed
that this should be an OK solution, and would keep us part of GNU.

I want to make clear that I believe in what GNU is trying to do.
Software patents are a serious issue to all Free and Open Source
Software developers. Their boycott of GIF is to help inform the public
to the danger as much as anything else. I dont personally feel that the
specific GIF issue is worth all the fuss, but am willing to see the
FSF's stance. They want to draw the line in the sand and are willing to
sacrifice and stand strong.

I also take phpGW development and adoption very seriously. I have not
spent nearly 2 years working my butt off on a project to throw it down
the drain making it look bad, for a GIF boycott that I dont personally
this is tha big a deal.

Taking this and everyones comments into consideration I would like to
give the following plan up as a solution to be discussed and possibly
implemented.

1) We will convert all our GIF files in cvs to PNG or JPG, depending on
the image. This will make us GNU compliant and allow us to help GNU in
both having a supreme groupware solution as well as fighting the
software patent issue fight.

2) Clear Rivert Technologies (http://www.clearrivertech.com) will
immediately put together a set of tar/zip files that include all the gif
files and a handy script (for unix and windows) for dropping them into
place. As well as instructions (if I find that the script cant do it
very well) on updating a preference setting which will change the image
preference order. Clear River will also release full copies of each
phpGroupWare release that already includes the gif files.

Right now phpGW has code that will first look for the png, then the jpg
and finally the gif for any given imagename. I have already checked in
an update to CVS that makes this configurable. So it is now possible to
tell phpGW to look for the GIF first for installs that prefer GIF over
PNG.

Skeeter might also add code to the setup program which will display the
notice of why we dont include gif's in our code, a link to the GNU
website on the issue, and then a handy button that will have the setup
prog go out and pick up the gif files from clearrivertech.com and drop
them into place for the user.

I have a feeling that the FSF may make a slight complaint about the
addition to the setup prog, but I will stand firm on the fact that I am
going to allow something like that to be done. In fact it may help GNU
more than hurt, because it will be a clear place to get their message
out there.

What do you think?

Dan Kuykendall (aka Seek3r)
Your fearless leader