Toby wrote:
OTOH, the physics and chemistry texts might
well want to borrow, not just information, but
entire chunks of text with only minor changes --
especially given the modular nature of textbooks
that's been proposed here, where different
textbooks might share the exact same module.
And how exactly is this going to work if the physics textbook is GNU FDLd and
the chemistry book is CCSA? You cannot mix and match like that because
modules are part of a distinct work. Each work has to be under the same
license.
I suspect that RMS will accept removing the
Invariant Sections. But I can't imagine him
changing the GNU FDL to allow redistribution
under a Creative Commons license;
If he only removes the invariant sections then the GNU FDL is completely
copyleft and everything major we want it to be. Therefore the differences
between the CCSA and the FDL will be minimal and the advantages of allowing
CCSA along side of the FDL will also be minimal.
since CC doesn't share the FSF's ethical
philosophy (they even offer the non-free
ND and NC license options!),
Strawman alert: The CCSA is the only CC license that could possibly be
compatible with the GNU FDL in both directions.
how can he be sure that CC licenses will
remain free?
Simple: "Copyrighted works under the GNU FDL 2.0 or later version created by
the Free Software Foundation can be copied, modified and distributed in full
and placed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license version 2.0 or
later version deemed to be sufficiently free and copyleft per FSF ruling. See
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/fdl/compatibility/ for updates on the status of
the Creative Commons Share Alike license."
Who has trouble understanding it?
Given the number of copyvios we get daily and the great deal of confusion
people have over copyright issues I would say the answer is self-evident.
I still expect that most users don't care at all.
And they will furthermore copy text Willy nilly between the various Wikimedia
projects. This should be encouraged. However having incompatible licenses
/within/ Wikimedia will hinder this free exchange.
BTW, we have created over 200,000 encyclopedia articles ourselves and only
occasionally use public domain or GFDL text created elsewhere. There is no
reason to believe that the textbook project will be any different.
Above all else; keep it simple.
-- Daniel Mayer (aka mav)