Re: (beta2) WANTED: Linux Knowledge Base Org. Developers

[Aaron Turner <aturner@linuxkb.org>]

On Fri, 18 Jun 1999, Roger Dingledine wrote:

> > > am i counted in that 7? i'm not very dedicated, i'm afraid..
> > 
> > Nope.  Only people listed on dev.linuxkb.org:81/about.html are counted.
> 
> Ah, but pete's in that list. I recommend moving to 6. :)

6 it is then.

[snip]  

> > > The most important thing you're missing here is that this is designed
> > > to be totally free. no banner ads, no nothing. also, you might want to
> > 
> > That's in the URL, but I think we should mention our license in the email.
> 
> I'm scared away by the mention of a new license. You say in the url,
> "guarantees that the content of our site will remain free for anyone
> to use, modify, and redistribute." I immediately think "isn't that
> why the gpl and opl were developed? Why did these guys want to change
> those? What's the catch?"

The license is based on the Netscape Open Directory License which is used
for dmoz.org.  See http://dev.linuxkb.org:81/licence.html for the full
text as well as a FAQ.  I've already had a lawyer friend who is very
familar with open source read it, and he says it meets all the
requirements.  Don't know much about OPL, but GPL is for source code and
there for doesn't apply to us.

> I think mentioning that all the content is designed to be free, and
> also that the site is built and maintained entirely by volunteers for
> free and with no banner pages, both deserve to get mentioned in the
> mail itself. That's precisely why people should care about you enough
> to read your url and/or volunteer. Not your claims that you'll be the
> next big knowledge base site. Everybody claims that.

Fair enough.  I'll move some of that info over.

> > > mention supported/encouraged by VA Research, to show that you're not
> > > some fly-by-night place, but that's a little more sketchy.
> > 
> > I don't mention any sponsors by name, but I mention the sponsors as a
> > group and what their contributions have been.  Again, in the URL.
> 
> this can stay in the url, agreed.
>  
> > > you *need* to point out the difference between linuxkb.org and cheek,
> > > though you need to not mention cheek. let people draw their own conclusions
> > > on what the differences are.
> > 
> > See the URL. :-)
> 
> everybody will discount your mail (and never load the url) if it
> looks like commercial hype. be careful. make it clear you're from
> and for the linux community.

Agreed.

> > http://dev.linuxkb.org:81/developers.html
> > 
> > I'll be posting a new version of this in by 1pm PDT today.  I'm trying to
> > make some of the wording clearer and more concise.
> > 
> > Later...
>  
> --Roger 
>