[Foundation-l] Mission & Vision statement update

[Erik Moeller]

Once again, the change was made based on discussions on this very list
about the ambiguity of "free license":
http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2007-January/026691.html
(and following); it has nothing to do with formats.

On 4/26/07, Jussi-Ville Heiskanen <cimonavaro at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 4/26/07, Anthony <wikilegal at inbox.org> wrote:
> > On 4/26/07, Jussi-Ville Heiskanen <cimonavaro at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On 4/26/07, Florence Devouard <Anthere9 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > > I do not think anyone can reasonably claim that the change came as a
> > > > total surprise. The issue of updating the mission statement has been
> > > > mentionned as early as october 2006.
> > >
> > > Quite the contrary, I most specifically claimed that the specific
> > > emendation of "free licence" to "free content licence" was made in a
> > > fashion that did not observe the niceties of feedback from the
> > > community in any reasonable form. That "change" is the only *change*
> > > that I am challenging, and _yes_ I do think it is reasonable to claim
> > > that it will have not been reviewed by any great section of the
> > > community in any significant way.
> > >
> > Am I the only one who is confused as to what the significance of the
> > change from "free license" to "free content license" means?  I've read
> > the discussion by you and Erik on this, but I still don't get it.
> >
> > Erik says this is a clarification.  What was unclear which is being
> > clarified?
>
> I think this is the crux of the matter. If the intent is to uphold the
> longstanding stance we have been keeping, as attested by numerous
> postings on the list by many figures of stature within wikimedia
> operations, that we do infact take a clear stance against encumbered
> file formats, this is not a clarification at all, but can be (perhaps
> contrivedly, but nevertheless) interpreted as retreating from support
> of formats that are unemcumbered. If that is the gloss put on the
> change of language by those outside our community, that would be sad
> indeed.
>
> > Jussi-Ville says that the change eliminates "content in formats that
> > are under free licence".  What would be an example of such content?
> > Does this mean the WMF would support non-free content under an open
> > format?  Or are you saying that the new language allows for free
> > content in non-free formats?
>
> No, to be precise, I don't think the change eliminates content, but it
> does remove explicit commitment to formats under free licence. If it
> did not, why would Eric state that "adding" coverage of the same would
> be something we could envision in the future.
>
> My understanding is that "free licence" covered also the file formats
> being unencumbered, and specifying that *only* the content need be
> freely licenced is a backtracking of a serious significance.
>
>
> --
> Jussi-Ville Heiskanen, ~ [[User:Cimon Avaro]]
>
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>


-- 
Peace & Love,
Erik

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