[Foundation-l] We are taking to long to switch over

Michael Snow wikipedia at verizon.net
Mon Feb 23 02:47:18 UTC 2009


Gerard Meijssen wrote:
> Hoi,
> There is a short period of time left before the switch over from the GFDL
> license is to happen. What I observe is that it will be likely at the last
> moment when the decision will be taken. The problem is that this is too
> late.
>
> It is too late because there are many websites who have selected the GFDL
> because Wikipedia has this license as well. Where the people in the know are
> aware that this magical deadline is approaching many of the people involved
> are not.
>
> It is for this reason that I urge us, the board to make a decision and
> publish it widely because the GFDL is a viral license and it will make
> cooperation with these people legally impossible. That would be the same
> tragedy as it is a tragedy that we currently cannot legaly cooperate with
> the websites that do use the CC-by-sa.
>   
The board's plan hasn't changed, which is to make the decision in April 
after a community vote. Assuming we can get the vote started soon 
enough, the board could act at its meeting at the beginning of April. 
I'm not going to allow any decision to get pushed beyond the end of 
April regardless. That would still allow outside parties three months 
for whatever processes they need to make their decisions. I know it 
would always be nice to have more time, but delays will always expand to 
fill the space available, so deadline pressure is not a bad thing.

--Michael Snow




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