[dpl-helpers] DPL helpers meeting on wednesday (2013-09-25)

[Stefano Zacchiroli]

On Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 03:11:03PM +0200, Lucas Nussbaum wrote:
> - dig mail archives to check status of Debian wrt OIN (Q from Simon Phipps at DebConf)

Last action on this is here:

  http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2011/02/msg00002.html

i.e. I had, back then, gently declined the offer to join on the basis
that OIN, at least to some extent, endorses the existence of software
patents, whereas I think the only reasonable long-term stance Debian
should have on software patents is "they should be abolished". You'll
find my "no, thanks" mail in the DPL mail archive. That stance seemed
consistent with project consensus back then, and the discussion that
Steve pointed me to is at:

  http://lists.debian.org/debian-project/2008/07/msg00001.html

Aside from the historical memories on this point, a few considerations:

- of course, we can revise our project decision if you think it's
  necessary (I'd disagree, but that's a different matter :-))

- for any real purpose, it is not meaningful for *Debian* to join OIN,
  it should rather be one of our T.O., most likely SPI. (FWIW, as a SPI
  contributing members I've always been in favor of that.)

All in all, it seems to me that by having Debian join OIN, it is only
OIN which will gain something (in terms of publicity, having a high
profile community FOSS project joining); Debian will get nothing, unless
SPI joins too, and will have to compromise with an entity who is
endorsing the existence of software patents.

HTH,
Cheers.
-- 
Stefano Zacchiroli  . . . . . . .  zack at upsilon.cc . . . . o . . . o . o
Maître de conférences . . . . . http://upsilon.cc/zack . . . o . . . o o
Former Debian Project Leader  . . @zack on identi.ca . . o o o . . . o .
« the first rule of tautology club is the first rule of tautology club »
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