simpleLinux Open Documentation License (sLODL)

[Rick Moen]

begin SamBC quotation:

> Only one I saw was GNU FDL which was even less simple, and had some
> clauses I disliked.

It strikes me that writings in electronic format, that you want to be 
distributable that way, fall roughly into two categories: ones that
express your personal views and that you therefore want to remain
unchanged, and ones whose further modification you want to encourage.

For the former, I use:

   Copyright (C) 2000 by Rick Moen, rick at linuxmafia.com.  Verbatim
   copying, distribution, and display of this entire article are
   permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.

(http://linuxmafia.com/~rick/essays/newlug.html , for example.)

For the latter, I use the modified GPL terms described at 
http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/nonsoftware-copyleft.html :

   Copyright (C) 2000, Rick Moen, rick at linuxmafia.com.

   This information is free; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
   under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
   the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
   (at your option) any later version.

   This work is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
   GNU General Public License for more details.

   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
   along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software
   Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

(E.g., http://linuxmafia.com/pub/linux/security/ssh-clients , which is
-- free plug -- the most comprehsive list known of SSH software for 
all platforms.)

As author Michael Stutz says:  'The GNU GPL references the "source code"
of a work; this "source code" will mean different things for different
kinds of information, but the definition of "source code" -- provided in
the GNU GPL -- holds true in any case: "The source code for a work means
the preferred form of the work for making modifications to it."'

Just a couple of options to consider.

-- 
Cheers,                   "Teach a man to make fire, and he will be warm 
Rick Moen                 for a day.  Set a man on fire, and he will be warm
rick at linuxmafia.com       for the rest of his life."   -- John A. Hrastar