[Foundation-l] We should permit Flash video playback

[Stephen Bain]

On 7/20/07, Erik Moeller <erik at wikimedia.org> wrote:
> On 7/20/07, Stephen Bain <stephen.bain at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > I'm 100% in support of "pushing unencumbered formats", but not at the
> > > expense of usability for the majority of users.
>
> > Then I really have to ask, what are you doing on the board of one of
> > the largest free content organisations around? Your goal should be to
> > do everything possible to make free content usable for the majority of
> > users.
>
> That's exactly the point.

I'm presuming you have replied like this because you are still
distinguishing content from file format.

But does one really have the freedom to use a work, to make and
redistribute copies, to make changes and improvements, and to
distribute derivative works, if that work is delivered in a
proprietary file format?

No, free licences do not go as far as requiring distribution of
content licensed under them in free formats. But the GFDL requires
transparent copies to be available when opaque copies are distributed
for a reason: to ensure that consumers of free content really do have
those freedoms.

If we are looking at adding extra video functionality, in order to
increase the usability of libre video, it ought to be by way of making
free file formats more usable.

-- 
Stephen Bain
stephen.bain at gmail.com