[Ichthux-devel] Penguin in the Pew Available

[Ben Armstrong]

On 5/4/05, Troy A. Griffitts <scribe at crosswire.org> wrote:
> I'm a little confused here by this issue.
> 
> I don't think PitP is the most offending text.
>  From Ben's arguments, it sounds like absolutely no text resources
> available for the SWORD engine could be included, as well.

The ones that are in Debian are in the public domain.  These texts
*have* been modified by people other than the original copyright
holders, which underscores why freedom to modify the text can be an
asset.  For instance:

Copyright:
                        Matthew Henry's
             Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible

                  Public Domain--Copy Freely.

This text matches the printed edition as published by Moody
Press, 28th printing, no Copyright displayed. ISBN:
0-8024-5190-X. This text was created from an existing electronic
copy, with roughly 1200 errors corrected.

If the text wasn't DFSG-free, the errors could not have been corrected.

> I think Debian needs to rethink their maturing stance on documentation
> while it is still in its infancy.

I don't.  Debian is in the software distribution business, not the
publishing business.  These businesses have different, and sometimes
conflicting needs.

> For example, I would hope to be able to include my _purpose statement_
> in a document on a CD and expect it to remain unchanged.  It is my point
> of view.  No one else has the authority to change my _purpose
> statement_.  They are welcome to copy, adopt, and adapt my point of view
> as their own, or not, but I expect my posted purpose statement to remain
> unchanged by the community, at large.

Why would anyone do such a thing?  Besides, you wouldn't resort to
copyright law to deal with that.  You'd have a case of libel on your
hands.

Ben