[Info-gne]new Project Announcement needed

[Dave Hein]

Hector,

I'm really confused.  I suspect the cause of my confusion 
is part of the reason traffic on this list dropped 
dramatically when the list names were changed and the FSF 
declared Nupedia to be the GNU free encyclopedia project.

I'd really appreciate a considered response to these 
points, and I suspect that the rest of the folks on the 
list would also be very interested.  So I thank you for 
your time, in anticipation of your response.


Point 1
=======
In the last couple days, in e-mails on both bug-gne and 
info-gne, you've stated that "we're making big decisions on 
the future of GNE, so in the meantime you can help the 
Nupedia project".

I've assumed that by "we" you meant yourself and Richard 
Stallman and perhaps other FSF staff.  But later e-mails 
suggest that may not be what you meant.  So, could you 
clarify:  in your statement, who did you mean by "we"?


Point 2
=======
Also, I've assumed that by "big decisions" you meant 
whether to kill GNE and just support Nupedia, or to have a 
second FSF-supported encyclopedia, or to just continue with 
the free encyclopedia project without overt support from 
the FSF.  But I suspect that assumption is also wrong.  So, 
could you clarify: in your statement, what are the "big 
decisions" to which you refer?  (A list of the decisions to 
be made would be helpful.)


Point 3
=======
Finally, if GNE is to continue as a project on which a 
large group of people across the world can focus, then a 
coherent statement of the project's vision, goals, and 
method of operation is necessary.  The original project 
announcement at http://www.gnu.org/encyclopedia/index.html 
has, in effect, been made to apply to Nupedia and not to 
GNE.

What we probably also need is a description of the existing 
open or free encyclopedia and library projects we know 
about, why GNE is different from the others, and why GNE is 
needed even though the other projects exist.

======

Again, I look forward to your response.

--
"Dave Hein" <address@hidden>

  Breathing in, I know I am breathing in.  
  Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.