Re: lynx-dev Re: Referring to non-free documentation for non-free software

[Philip Webb]

990201 a rational, if slightly light-hearted, discussion took place: 
> Richard Stallman announced:
> "So I rewrote the text as follows:"
PW>   ^
PW> does this mean RS can rewrite the rules as & whenever he pleases?
PW> that's not exactly the rule of `laws, not men', is it?
> "A GNU program should not recommend use of any non-free program,
> and it should not refer the user to any non-free documentation
> for free software".
DC> QUESTION: in your rewritten text, those "should not" pairs;
DC> do you mean "may not", or "should not"?
DC> Or MAYBE you WANT to keep it ambiguous?
DC> Thus leaving it up to a judge to decide what the intent was?
KD> Perhaps it all depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is ... :-) ...
KD> "Stupid programmer tricks can be fixed with a new version.  Stupid judge
KD>  tricks have the force of law behind them, and aren't so easy to upgrade."
PW> RS' new wording really does confirm BL's account of dealings with him.
PW> thank God we never ditched the monarchy up here ...

in response to which, Klaus Weide accidently knocked the thermostat:
KW> Nonsense. It does no such thing.
KW> Do you <PW> have anything to contribute to this topic
KW> than more anti-Stallman cheerleading? 

i have nothing to add to what i said above, as part of that discussion.
 2  serious questions have been raised:
how far can the wordings in GNU legal blurbs be regarded as definite,
rather than the kind of eternally modifiable fudges
popularised by a currently notorious US politician [BL DC KD]?
who controls GNU: an elected board of governors to whom RS reports
or RS himself as owner with power to change whatever he pleases [PW]?

the discussion may well be complete at this point as regards lynx-dev,
but "Nonsense: it does no such thing" is not a rational contribution to it.

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