Re: Free Technology (was: Re: gEDA-user: Electric clothing and gEDA at NYLUG!)

[Ales Hvezda <ahvezda@moria.seul.org>]

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-- Cut here --
From: Mikey Sklar <sklarm@electric-clothing.com>

Hi Karel,

I agree with you that my use of "Open Source" a more closed definition
than your term "Free Technology".

Although rather than invent yet another term "Free Technology". We could
all probably agree to use one of the existing terms that opencollector.org
(the site which you originally pointed out) has documented. I believe
the "Free Technology" seems to be synonymous with "Open Hardware" in
this case.

http://www.opencollector.org/Whyfree/open_hardware.html
http://www.opencollector.org/Whyfree/definitions.html

I now prefer "Open Hardware" as it removes the word free, which often
leads to confusion as whether its free as in freedom or costs nothing.

Summary
-------
To fully qualify as 'open hardware':

1. The interface to the hardware must be explicitly made public, so
   the hardware can be used freely.

2. The design of the hardware must be made public, so that others
   can implement it and learn from it.

3. The tools used to create the design should be free, so that
   others can develop and improve the design.=20

On Thu, 1 Jul 2004, Karel [iso-8859-1] Kulhav=FD wrote:
> I don't like the term "Open Source" because it means only the sources are=
 open
> and nothing more. What is most interesting for me is when the design is f=
ree
> (libre).
>=20
> I would rather introduce the term "Free Technology" that requires
> 1) The design tools are free technology too (recursivity property)
> 2) There is a building guide for a layman how to build and use the produc=
t
>    (portability of the building process and usage property).
> 3) The licence for the documentation permits incorporation into other fre=
e
>   technologies (inclusion property) and inclusion into non-free technolog=
y
>   is discouraged (spreading property).