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Subject:
From:
"C.M. Connelly" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 9 Jul 2002 13:40:25 -0700
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (48 lines)
"MS" == Martin Schroeder <[log in to unmask]>
"LD" == Loic Dachary  <[log in to unmask]>

    LD> I think the LPPL is trying to define and enforce a
    LD> distribution policy within the license.  This is a strange
    LD> idea. Imagine what mess it would be if the Linux kernel
    LD> imposed the same restrictions on system calls ?-) Instead
    LD> a specification was issued
    LD> (http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/007908799/) to
    LD> encourage the necessary standardization and
    LD> uniformity. Defining a standard interface and behaviour is
    LD> a complex matter that can hardly be implemented by a
    LD> license.

    MS> "The Single UNIX® Specification, Version 2" -- which I
    MS> find irrelevant here.

Yes, the specification is irrelevant, but Loic's point was that a
license cannot force standardization; that job has to be left to a
group of interested parties who draft a standards document that
define what bits make up a complete system, how they interact,
their interface, what sort of output they produce, and so on.

In other words, he wasn't suggesting you look at the document
because it would tell you anything about LaTeX, he was suggesting
that the process that produced the document is worth looking at.
(And perhaps that the document itself might serve as a model for a
LaTeX standard.)

The basic idea here is that if you want to keep LaTeX pure, you
can take one of two approaches:

   1. Impose a restrictive, non-free license that prevents
      modification of key components

   2. Develop an open standard that defines the behavior of the
      system in a testable way

   Claire

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
 Man cannot be civilised, or be kept civilised by what he does in his
            spare time; only by what he does as his work.
                             W.R. Lethaby
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
  C.M. Connelly               [log in to unmask]                   SHC, DS
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

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