[Foundation-l] Licenses' biodiversity : my big disagreement with the Wikimedia usability initiative's software specifications

[Birgitte SB]

I don't want get into the splitting hairs on licenses that is the rest of this 
thread. 


However you basic assumption is wrong.  Copyright is not universal.  Copyright 
is a kludge.  A very ugly kludge. It works because in the normal work-a-day 
copyright world people just take for granted that it would all make sense if 
they put it under a microscope. And in the controversial copyright world people 
pay larges sums of money (i.e. out of court settlements) to avoid having to face 
how ugly it is under the microscope. 


Copyright is a set widely applicable laws sometimes written by people with 
narrow interests and sometimes based on ancient traditions that translate poorly 
into our modern world. It is not in any way universal. Not internationally 
speaking. Not over time. Not across mediums.

Birgitte SB



----- Original Message ----
> From: Lodewijk <lodewijk at effeietsanders.org>
> To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List <foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org>
> Sent: Tue, February 22, 2011 5:02:05 AM
> Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Licenses' biodiversity : my big disagreement with 
>the Wikimedia usability initiative's software specifications
> 
> I don't get it.
> 
> Copyright is universal, so should copyright licenses be.  There are numerous
> exceptions to come up with, and we can discuss on this  list into eternity
> about those where Geni can come up with wonderful examples  and Teofilo will
> come up with reasons why they fall outside his scope. Doesnt  the whole fact
> that we have this discussion proof the point already and  remove the
> necessity of such?
> 
> The point is that GFDL has  impracticalities to some people. Whether you also
> have these impracticalities  does not really matter, as long as some people
> experience them as such,  because it limits re-use.
> 
> The question is, should Wikimedia Commons favor  one license over the other,
> or even discourage the use of some subset of free  licenses?
> 
> I think that offering a default license is great - it is a  major
> simplification of the upload process and increases the odds that  someone
> will make an upload. Because be honest: most authors don't care, they  want
> their content uploaded to Wikipedia. If that requires them to release  some
> rights they won't commercialize anyway, they are likely willing to do  so. No
> matter the conditions. If they would be required to make a silly  dance
> through walkthrough license schemes, they will just get frustrated and  cut
> off the process.
> 
> Of course we can have an advanced upload scheme  where people like Teofilo
> can pick all complicated licenses they like or even  type their own personal
> release which then can be judged by the community -  but please don't bother
> the regular uploader with  that.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Lodewijk
> 
> 2011/2/21 Teofilo <teofilowiki at gmail.com>
> 
> >  2011/2/21 geni <geniice at gmail.com>:
> > (...)
> >  >> I was thinking about a Powerpoint presentation.
> > >
> >  > Well yes thats rather the problem. There are also slideshows with
> >  > actual physical slides. I've got some around somewhere.
> >  >
> > > --
> > > geni
> >
> > People who work with  actual physical slides are unlikely to
> > incorporate contents from  Wikipedia. Wikipedia is online. If they
> > bother to create a physical  slide out of content from Wikipedia, they
> > must have a computer with an  internet connection, so it is not
> > difficult for them to upload the  equivalent of the slide they created
> > at Wikimedia Commons, or on  imageshack if it is not an educational
> > content.
> >
> >  _______________________________________________
> > foundation-l mailing  list
> > foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org
> >  Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
> >
> _______________________________________________
> foundation-l  mailing list
> foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>