Re: NASA releases parts of mars robots sotware package as open source.

In article <f5goc7$35s$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Jan Panteltje <pNaonStpealmtje@xxxxxxxxx> writes:


On a sunny day (Fri, 22 Jun 2007 09:39:47 -0500) it happened John Hasler
<john@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in <87ir9g2guk.fsf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

Jan Panteltje writes:
NASA releases mars robots sotware package as open source:
http://claraty.jpl.nasa.gov/man/overview/index.php

Look at the license. It is neither Free Software nor Open Source.

Well, I am no lawyer, but 'open source' to me means basically: publish
the source.

Actually, the term "open source" has a pretty specific definition:

http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php

The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a standards body that, among other
things, certifies licenses as being open source (or refuses to offer such
certification). The OSI is starting to make noise about protecting the
name "open source" from those who want to abuse it:

http://www.opensource.org/node/163

As you're just somebody posting on Usenet, you presumably don't have to
worry about the OSI lawyers knocking on your door; however, using the term
"open source" incorrectly does mean you're not communicating effectively.
It's like calling something "green" when in fact it's orange, or at least
blue.

--
Rod Smith, rodsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.rodsbooks.com
Author of books on Linux, FreeBSD, and networking
.

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