Mark Pellegrini wrote:
Ok, so Jamesday proposes that we use any open or
common file
format. Should I write this into the Wikipedia:Sound policy, or is
this debate going to go on forever? (I'd prefer it be settled
before I write the policy). Jimbo - is James's idea OK by you?
Absolutely not. I don't think I could be any more clear about this.
The policy is that we must avoid file formats that can not be used by
legal free software. Yes, we can make special allowances in some
special cases. Yes, we have to make some judgments about the patent
status of some popular formats.
In the case of MP3 versus ogg, there's very little question. Ogg is
easily readable and playable by all major players on all major
operating systems (requiring at most the download of a plugin or
codec, and usually not even that). There is very little inconvenience
to end users anyway.
But that's what our policy has to be (i.e. can the format be used by
legal free software?), not "any open or common file format".
--Jimbo