Re: Boy Scout Open Source

["Randy Cole" <user=55@nabble.blu.org>]

 Mark, 

I just looked at that http://opensource.scouting.org/ .  They are 
talking specifically about open SOURCE code. 

Open to Review 
    The Open to Review requirement means that anyone can get involved in 
    the project.  <=== i.e. anyone can access the source code, even if 
    the person isn't "clean". 
... 
Open Use 
    The Open Use requirement means that the software is free from 
    restrictions for its use. 

That's about how most people who aren't lawyers would explain open 
source.  I don't see any agenda, or jargon.  Plus they are asking for 
comments. 

Randy 



MBR wrote: 
> In spite of this having gotten way off topic because of the Boy 
> Scouts' Freedom of Association case, I think there's a different issue 
> here that _is_ highly relevant to BLU (and also FSF for that matter).   
> I just looked closely at their answer to the question "What is Open 
> Source Software?" at http://opensource.scouting.org/classroom, and it 
> looks to me like they leave out the most crucial core concept of Open 
> Source (or as Stallman prefers to call it, "Free") Software.  They 
> state that Open Source software is: 
> 
>       1. Open to Review 
>       2. Open Standards 
>       3. Open Use 
> 
> Those may all be true, but the core concept behind "open source" is 
> that the source code is open - open not merely to review, and not 
> merely for end user use of compiled binaries, but open to modification 
> of the source code and redistribution under the requirement that the 
> source code must be made available to anyone to whom a binary is 
> distributed.  This sort of redefinition of the term "open" is the sort 
> of FUD I expect to hear from Micro$oft.  It leaves me wondering if the 
> Boy Scouts are running some sort of agenda that leads to them 
> misrepresenting the meaning of open source, or if they're just 
> clueless regarding what open source is truly about. 
> 
>    Mark Rosenthal 
>    Arlington Software Enterprises 
>    [hidden email] 
> 
> John Abreau wrote: 
>> Hi, Bill. 
>> 
>> I saw a story this morning about the Boy Scouts starting an opwn source 
>> initiative, with its web site at 
>> 
>>     http://opensource.scouting.org/
>> 
>> Do you know anything about this? Maybe we could have a talk on it at 
>> an upcoming BLU meeting?