New WordCamp Policy

[zamoose]

I think you have a really good idea. Just have a "GPL Hell" forum, and move all OT GPL posts into it. Anyone who willingly wades into it - well, they know what they're getting into.

Like any reputable tavern, there ought to be bouncers. "Y'all don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!"

Or, you could disemvowel any posting that drags a non-GPL topic into Stallmanland. Looks like there's even a handy-dandy plugin to do so: http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?p=1787456

*grin*

[hakre]

Jeffro, I find it perfectly suitable to mark the "GPL debate" as something at it is: a meta-debate. This is not about the GPL on both sides, neither for the foundation nor for the critics that think they found some special powers in the word "Theme" on the the GPL.

I can't help me, but if Jane puts such announcements online I must ask myself for whom/what that should help? And when I look to what those words aim, than I can only see the wish of the foundation to gain more control about the actual plugin licensing. And the more I think about that, the less I can see a problem here:

Even if an incompatible Add-On is breaking the WP license, you can never proof that someone uses that code, because this is a certain theme run by a certain company. And as long as you have not access to their servers fully, you can not proof that. And even in the unlikely event that someone gets access there, it still is close to impossible to proof, because that company in case of a lawsuit just might provide "a compatible license" et voila. So therefore the legal discussion or even the interpretation ends as fast as the reality begins.

This principle works the other way round as well by the way. Ask the "professional" Add-On-author if his product is compatible for WordPress. If he approves compability, then you can assume that the code is under a GPL compatible license, since those are the requirements by wordpress. So even an author writes on his homepage that his theme is under a proprietary license he will very likely have no luck with that by a little mail exchange. So nothing to worry about, right?

So it's time now to pose the question why there is so much of buzz and hot air about the GPL here. Are those just some resentments or is there more behind that? I think the main signal that comes from that there is a lack of true community building with the project which makes something like the tavern that important.

[chipbennett]

So it's time now to pose the question why there is so much of buzz and hot air about the GPL here. Are those just some resentments or is there more behind that? I think the main signal that comes from that there is a lack of true community building with the project which makes something like the tavern that important.

A prescient point, indeed. Well-said, Hakre!

[Ryan]

@hakre - You are misunderstanding the GPL here and the concept of distributed work in relation to it.

[Jeffro]

I like the idea of creating a sub-forum purely for GPL discussions. You can discuss it if you want but it's not going to be moderated and it won't show up in the recent posts at the bottom of the site. I don't like silencing anyone so this seems like the best of both worlds.

[Jeffro]

I've created a sub forum where all discussions on Licensing can take place. If a certain thread dives into arguments regarding GPL, that portion of the thread will be relocated to the sub forum.

http://www.wptavern.com/forum/licensing/

[Jacob Santos]

As for the original topic, I'm actually sitting on video where Jane Wells goes into more detail about the new policies and why the WordPress Foundation is doing it this way. I'm unsure if anyone at that interview has spoken on here. I suspect that I'll be getting the videos to the respective party sometime next week and it might be a week or two after that before the video gets online.

[Ryan]

Thanks Jacob. Nice to see you around here again :)

[wpmuguru]

I like the idea of creating a sub-forum purely for GPL discussions. You can discuss it if you want but it's not going to be moderated and it won't show up in the recent posts at the bottom of the site. I don't like silencing anyone so this seems like the best of both worlds.

Great solution/compromise :)

[hakre]

I'm unsure if anyone at that interview has spoken on here.

If you would share who is actually giving that interview next to Jane (she did not comment here if my mind serves me well), there is at least a chance to find out :).

I would be interested in a transcript after Jane has approved the interview.