[sldev] Re: [PROTOCOL] Protocol Documentation

[Sean Dague]

On Tue, Oct 02, 2007 at 03:32:34PM -0700, John Hurliman wrote:
<snip>
> LL: the source code is very clear on how all of this works
> Others: the viewer isn't documentation, it's GPL licensed source code 
> that is neither a preferred medium for documenting a protocol nor a 
> license-compatible method of providing docs
> LL: it is very clear documentation
> Me: so we can look through the SL viewer source code to learn how things 
> work and reimplement it in BSD licensed libsecondlife correct?
> [13:31]  Rob Linden: Eddy, as long as you don't steal code, yes
> LL: so this whole discussion about documenting the capability API is 
> just so people can steal code?
> Others: no, we don't want your source code. please keep it
> Me: we would like documentation to write independent implementations though
> Others: independent implementations... part of that whole architecture 
> working group thing

There is a crux in here about the fact that code as documentation is
made less desirable when being under a non permissive license.

The OpenSim team policy has been for no developers to look at the client
source code to ensure there isn't even the smallest hint of license
violation.

If LL wants some portion of the client code base to function as
documentation, it would be really nice to actually relicense those
portions under a permissive license so there wouldn't be any concern in
looking at them.

That being said, John's write up is a very good start.  Thanks for all
the hard work! :)

    -Sean

-- 
__________________________________________________________________

Sean Dague                                       Mid-Hudson Valley
sean at dague dot net                            Linux Users Group
http://dague.net                                 http://mhvlug.org

There is no silver bullet.  Plus, werewolves make better neighbors
than zombies, and they tend to keep the vampire population down.
__________________________________________________________________
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
Url : http://lists.secondlife.com/pipermail/sldev/attachments/20071003/7ae7bc33/attachment.pgp