[License-discuss] Organizing the FAQ into categories.

[Karl Fogel]

Luis Villa <luis at tieguy.org> writes:
>By the way, Karl- a big +1 from me on the reorg. I'd say take it live
>whenever you have a chance.

Done.  Further improvement welcome, as always.

-Karl

>On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 10:45 AM, Karl Fogel <kfogel at red-bean.com> wrote:
>> In another thread, Luis Villa <luis at tieguy.org> wrote:
>>>[I'd also repeat my call of a few weeks back- if anyone has a few
>>>hours to try to edit the FAQ into useful categories, let me know.]
>>
>> Here's a preliminary categorization.  I guess license-discuss is
>> probably the most appropriate place to post this, since much of the FAQ
>> is about licensing in one way or another.
>>
>> Any comments welcome.  If I hear a lot of +1s, then I'll edit the FAQ
>> page accordingly.  If this gets a lot of comments, then we'll just see
>> where the thread goes.  Here are my proposed top-level categories:
>>
>>   + Basics of Open Source
>>   + Distributing and Using Open Source Software
>>   + Commerce and Open Source
>>   + Using Our Logo, Linking to Us, Etc
>>   + Getting Help
>>
>> And here's the proposed breakdown of FAQ items:
>>
>> Basics of Open Source
>> =====================
>>
>>   * Can Open Source software be used for commercial purposes?
>>
>>   * Can I restrict how people use an Open Source licensed program?
>>
>>   * Can I stop "evil people" from using my program?
>>
>>   * What is "copyleft"? Is it the same as "open source"?
>>
>>   * What is a "permissive" Open Source license?
>>
>>   * Is <SOME PROGRAM> Open Source?
>>
>>   * Can I call my program "Open Source" even if I don't use an
>>     approved license?
>>
>>   * Is <SOME LICENSE> an Open Source license, even if it is not listed
>>     on your web site?
>>
>>   * What about software in the "public domain"? Is that Open Source?
>>
>>   * What about the Creative Commons "CC0" ("CC Zero") public domain
>>     dedication? Is that Open Source?
>>
>> Distributing and Using Open Source Software
>> ===========================================
>>
>>   * What if I do not want to distribute my program in source code
>>     form? Or what if I don't want to distribute it in either source or
>>     binary form?
>>
>>   * Which Open Source license should I choose to release my software
>>     under?
>>
>>   * How do I apply <SOME OPEN SOURCE LICENSE> to software I'm
>>     releasing?
>>
>>   * Can I strip out the copyrights on Open Source code and put in my
>>     own?
>>
>>   * Can I write proprietary code that links to a shared library that's
>>     open source?
>>
>>   * I want to publish some code as Open Source code — can I get a
>>     license from you?
>>
>>   * Is <SOME PHP PROGRAM> Open Source simply because it's written in
>>     PHP?
>>
>>   * What is "distribution"? What does it mean to "distribute" a
>>     program? Is letting people use it on my server the same as
>>     distribution?
>>
>>   * Someone is violating a copyleft license, for example by refusing
>>     to give me source code when they are required to. What can I do?
>>
>> Commerce and Open Source
>> ========================
>>
>>   * How do I make money if anybody can sell my code?
>>
>>   * Can I sell Open Source programs? Even if I haven't written it?
>>
>>   * Does Open Source mean anybody else can use my name and logo?
>>
>>   * Why did you approve Microsoft's licenses when they are attacking
>>     Open Source?
>>
>> Using Our Logo, Linking to Us, Etc
>> ==================================
>>
>>   * Can I use your corporate logo (green open keyhole saying "Open
>>     Source") or something very similar (different color / texture /
>>     words) on my product (hat, shirt, web page, etc)?
>>
>>   * How much does it cost for a link on opensource.org to my website?
>>
>>   * Can I use your corporate logo on my web page to link to you?
>>
>>   * Can I link to your site?
>>
>>   * Can I use one of your pages in a document I'm writing?
>>
>> Getting Help
>> ============
>>
>>   * Can I ask a legal question here?
>>
>>   * Can you help me find an Open Source programmer or program?
>>
>>   * How do I unsubscribe from one of your mailing lists?
>>
>>   * How can I join an open source project?
>>
>>   * I have a thesis and I'm sending out a survey...
>>
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