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Editing User:Erik Möller/Announcement draft
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I am posting this to multiple lists, as I believe it is relevant to each of them (more on that below). | I am posting this to multiple lists, as I believe it is relevant to each of them (more on that below). | ||
For years, we have been using the term "free content" to refer to our projects. However, what exactly is free content? | For years, we have been using the term "free content" to refer to our projects. However, what exactly is free content? Does it include the right to make commercial use? Does it allow derivative works? Our English Wikipedia article <nowiki>[[free content]]</nowiki> is confused and contains no references. This is no surprise, as the term has evolved purely through its usage. Some pages in our projects use the even more ambiguous terms "open content" or "open access". | ||
It is clear that we need a definition. With the help of feedback from the likes of Richard Stallman and Lawrence Lessig, and an increasing number of collaborators, I have drafted up a first version of such a definition, called the "Free Content and Expression Definition": | It is clear that we need a definition. With the help of feedback from the likes of Richard Stallman and Lawrence Lessig, and an increasing number of collaborators, I have drafted up a first version of such a definition, called the "Free Content and Expression Definition": | ||
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You can suggest changes on the talk page, or be bold and make them directly. The change process will be consensus-based. In order to decide when a consensus has been reached on a change, I have appointed three moderators besides myself: | You can suggest changes on the talk page, or be bold and make them directly. The change process will be consensus-based. In order to decide when a consensus has been reached on a change, I have appointed three moderators besides myself: | ||
* Benjamin Mako Hill. Mako is | * Angela Beesley. You may be familiar with her. ;-) She's one of the two elected trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation, and also the Vice President of Community Relations at Wikia, Inc. | ||
* Benjamin Mako Hill. Mako is a prolific figure in the free software community. To quote Wikipedia, Benjamin "is a Debian hacker and author of the Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 Bible (...). He currently works in the electronic publishing group of the MIT Media Lab, and is on the boards of Software in the Public Interest, Software Freedom International (the organization that organizes Software Freedom Day) and the Ubuntu Foundation." | |||
* Mia Garlick. General Counsel at Creative Commons, and an expert on IP law. Creative Commons is, of course, the project which offers many easy-to-use licenses to authors and artists, some of which are free content licenses and some of which are not. | * Mia Garlick. General Counsel at Creative Commons, and an expert on IP law. Creative Commons is, of course, the project which offers many easy-to-use licenses to authors and artists, some of which are free content licenses and some of which are not. | ||