[License-discuss] Organizing the FAQ into categories.

[Luis Villa]

I don't think I'd realized quite how much of this is OSI stuff- does
it make sense to have separate OSI and licensing FAQs?

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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