Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Front page to wiki now modifiable again

[Mikhael Goikhman]

On 21 Mar 2004 20:20:05 -0500, James Blackwell wrote:
> 
> >> Not true. You can't switch licenses w/o consent from all contributors,
> >> nor would it actually _help_ (if version 3 was messed up enough to not
> >> want it), because anyone wanting to use the wiki contents under version
> >> 3 could start at the stuff at the precise moment before the hypothetical
> >> license change (from "2+" to "2").
> >
> > Ok, then, your unfounded distrust in FSF plus hypothetical problems in
> > the future versus real problems for canonical GPL'd projects now.
> 
> Here's what you need to do in order to get the license changed.
> 
> You need to get a signed document from everybody that has ever
> contributed to the wiki that approves a license change from "gpl v2" to
> "gpl v2 or later". This is a required legal step in the United States,
> where the wiki is hosted. Anything less than that is really just an
> exercise in trolling.

You are welcome to call this exercise whatever you like, but personally I
prefer to find the solution rather than contribute to the problem.

I don't know why that message was not delivered yet, here it is:

  http://migo.sixbit.org/tmp/Undelivered_Recent_wiki_changes_message.txt

Basically you seem to mix two separate issues here saying it is legally
impossible to change the license. The license of existing pages can't be
changed without approvement from authors, true. But this has nothing to
do with licensing new contributions, it may be changed to "GPL v2+" right
now regardless of anything else. (And this license was unintentionally
stated in the Wiki's front page for more than one month anyway.)

The second step is to relicense all old pages one by one. If someone A
wrote most of the page, and there were 2 minor changes, then A may
relicense it. Using the expressed "Ok" in email or Wiki itself. Your
lawful habits are fully understood and really appreciated, but it would
be really nice to not let them to artificially complicate this process.

> Before you ask, no, I do not have a list of everybody that's contributed.

There are no many pages from the old wiki, and these are mostly changed
completely anyway. There is a list of all current contributors that may
express their wishes. Anonymous editors without any contact info should
be ignored completely (this can't be denied even by the US law).

This may work, but only if the most active contributors are willing to do
this. Is there any opposition to "GPL v2 or later" license for the Wiki?

Unless there is an opposition to this move, I will create a license-move
page on the Wiki. Of course if there is any real opposition, I will just
shut up and do what I stated originally (stop contributing to the wiki).

Regards,
Mikhael.