www/server/staging/readability free-sw.html

[Therese Godefroy]

CVSROOT:        /webcvs/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Therese Godefroy <th_g> 16/11/08 20:14:33

Modified files:
        server/staging/readability: free-sw.html 

Log message:
        Replace subheads with section headers.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/server/staging/readability/free-sw.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.6&r2=1.7

Patches:
Index: free-sw.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/server/staging/readability/free-sw.html,v
retrieving revision 1.6
retrieving revision 1.7
diff -u -b -r1.6 -r1.7
--- free-sw.html        3 Nov 2016 16:36:36 -0000       1.6
+++ free-sw.html        8 Nov 2016 20:14:32 -0000       1.7
@@ -16,12 +16,6 @@
 <title>What is free software?
 - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
 <style type="text/css" media="print,screen"><!--
-h3 {
-   margin-top: 2em;
-}
-.columns {
-   margin: 0 0 2em;
-}
 .columns p, .columns li {
    line-height: 1.5em;
    margin-bottom: 0;
@@ -29,14 +23,13 @@
 blockquote.intro {
    margin: 0 3%;
 }
-blockquote.subhead, .columns, .inline-block {
-   margin: 0;
-}
-blockquote.subhead p {
-   font-size: 1.1em;
+h4 {
    text-align: center;
-   padding: .3em .5em;
-   margin: 2em 0 1.5em;
+   font-size: 1.1em;
+   font-weight: normal;
+   font-style: italic;
+   padding: .3em;
+   margin: 1.3em 0;
    background: #f5f5f5;
 }
 .columns .emph-box {
@@ -49,7 +42,7 @@
    width: auto; max-width: 40em;
    margin: 1.5em auto;
 }
address@hidden (min-width: 50em) {
address@hidden (min-width: 53em) {
    .columns .emph-box {
       margin: .3em 0 0;
    }
@@ -64,8 +57,7 @@
 <h2 class="c">What is free software?</h2>
 <h3>The Free Software Definition</h3>
 
-<div class="article">
-<blockquote  class="reduced-width">
+<div class="reduced-width">
 <p>
 The free software definition presents the criteria for whether a
 particular software program qualifies as free software.  From time to
@@ -74,8 +66,7 @@
 below for a list of changes that affect the definition of free
 software.
 </p>
-</blockquote>
-<!--#include virtual="/licenses/fsf-licensing.html" -->
+</div>
 
 <div class="columns">
 <p class="inline-block">
@@ -103,10 +94,9 @@
 </p>
 </div>
 
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>The four essential freedoms</p></blockquote>
+<h4>The four essential freedoms</h4>
 
-<div class="columns">
-<div class="emph-box inline-block">
+<div class="reduced-width">
 <p>
 A program is free software if the program's users have the
 four essential freedoms:
@@ -130,7 +120,10 @@
 </ul>
 </div>
 
-<p class="inline-block">
+<h4>Consequences on the general characteristics of a free license</h4>
+
+<div class="columns">
+<p>
 A program is free software if it gives users adequately all of these
 freedoms.  Otherwise, it is nonfree.  While we can distinguish various
 nonfree distribution schemes in terms of how far they fall short of
@@ -144,29 +137,45 @@
 are free.  However, if we plan to modify A so that it doesn't use B,
 only A needs to be free; B is not pertinent to that plan.</p>
 
-<p>The rest of this page clarifies certain points about what makes
-specific freedoms adequate or not.</p>
-</div>
+<p>
+In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and
+irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the
+software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively add
+restrictions to its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give
+cause, the software is not free.
+</p>
 
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>Freedoms for anyone, anywhere,
-but free doesn't mean useful for what you want to do</p></blockquote>
+<p>
+&ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial&rdquo;.  A free
+program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,
+and commercial distribution.  Commercial development of free software
+is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.
+You may have paid money to get copies of free software, or you may have
+obtained copies at no charge.  But regardless of how you got your copies,
+you always have the freedom to copy and change the software, even to 
+<a href="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</a>.
 
-<div class="columns">
-<p>Freedom to distribute (freedoms 2 and 3) means you are free to
-redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either
-gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
-<a href="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</a>.  Being free to do these
-things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay
-for permission to do so.
+<p>
+A free license may not require compliance with the license of a
+nonfree program.  Thus, for instance, if a license requires you to
+comply with the licenses of &ldquo;all the programs you use&rdquo;, in
+the case of a user that runs nonfree programs this would require
+compliance with the licenses of those nonfree programs; that makes the
+license nonfree.
 </p>
 
 <p>
-You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them
-privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they
-exist.  If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to
-notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way.
+It is acceptable for a free license to specify which jurisdiction's
+law applies, or where litigation must be done, or both.
 </p>
+</div>
 
+<p class="c"><em>The rest of this page clarifies certain points about what 
makes
+specific freedoms adequate or not.</em></p>
+
+<h4>The freedom to run the program as you wish</h4>
+
+<div class="columns">
 <p>
 The freedom to run the program means the freedom for any kind of person
 or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind of
@@ -185,22 +194,7 @@
 want to do.</p>
 </div>
 
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>Freedom to redistribute 
executables</p></blockquote>
-
-<div class="columns">
-<p>
-The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable
-forms of the program, as well as source code, for both modified and
-unmodified versions.  (Distributing programs in runnable form is necessary
-for conveniently installable free operating systems.)  It is OK if there
-is no way to produce a binary or executable form for a certain program
-(since some languages don't support that feature), but you must have the
-freedom to redistribute such forms should you find or develop a way to
-make them.
-</p>
-</div>
-
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>Source code must not be 
obfuscated</p></blockquote>
+<h4>The freedom to make changes</h4>
 
 <div class="columns">
 <p>
@@ -211,12 +205,7 @@
 &ldquo;source code&rdquo; is not real source code and does not count
 as source code.
 </p>
-</div>
 
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>No restrictions to making, using or
-distributing modified versions</p></blockquote>
-
-<div class="columns">
 <p>
 Freedom 1 includes the freedom to use your changed version in place of
 the original.  If the program is delivered in a product designed to
@@ -237,29 +226,47 @@
 </p>
 
 <p>
-Freedom 3 includes the freedom to release your modified versions
-as free software.  A free license may also permit other ways of
-releasing them; in other words, it does not have to be
-a <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a> license.  However, a
-license that requires modified versions to be nonfree does not qualify
-as a free license.
+Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.
+If your right to modify a program is limited, in substance, to changes that
+someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
+</p>
+</div>
+
+<h4>The freedom to distribute if you wish: requirements</h4>
+
+<div class="columns">
+<p>Freedom to distribute (freedoms 2 and 3) means you are free to
+redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either
+gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
+<a href="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</a>.  Being free to do these
+things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay
+for permission to do so.
 </p>
 
 <p>
-In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and
-irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the
-software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively add
-restrictions to its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give
-cause, the software is not free.
+You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them
+privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they
+exist.  If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to
+notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way.
 </p>
 
+<p>
+The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable
+forms of the program, as well as source code, for both modified and
+unmodified versions.  (Distributing programs in runnable form is necessary
+for conveniently installable free operating systems.)  It is OK if there
+is no way to produce a binary or executable form for a certain program
+(since some languages don't support that feature), but you must have the
+freedom to redistribute such forms should you find or develop a way to
+make them.
+</p>
 </div>
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>Some rules are acceptable, e.g.
-copyleft</p></blockquote>
+
+<h4>The freedom to distribute: acceptable rules</h4>
 
 <div class="columns">
 <p>
-However, certain kinds of rules about the manner of distributing free
+Certain kinds of rules about the manner of distributing free
 software are acceptable, when they don't conflict with the central
 freedoms.  For example, <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a>
 (very simply stated) is the rule that when redistributing the program,
@@ -281,35 +288,8 @@
 relate to each other.
 </p>
 
-</div>
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>Free doesn't mean
-noncommercial</p></blockquote>
-
-<div class="columns">
-<p>
-&ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial&rdquo;.  A free
-program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,
-and commercial distribution.  Commercial development of free software
-is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.
-You may have paid money to get copies of free software, or you may have
-obtained copies at no charge.  But regardless of how you got your copies,
-you always have the freedom to copy and change the software, even to 
-<a href="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</a>.
-</p>
-
-</div>
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>No restrictions on the change itself,
-but packaging rules may be acceptable</p></blockquote>
-
-<div class="columns">
-<p>
-Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.
-If your right to modify a program is limited, in substance, to changes that
-someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
-</p>
-
 <p>
-However, rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable,
+Rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable,
 if they don't substantively limit your freedom to release modified
 versions, or your freedom to make and use modified versions privately.
 Thus, it is acceptable for the license to require that you change the
@@ -342,11 +322,19 @@
 alias for the modified version.</p>
 </div>
 
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>What about export control
-regulations?</p></blockquote>
+<h4>The freedom to distribute: unacceptable or problematic rules</h4>
 
 <div class="columns">
 <p>
+Freedom 3 includes the freedom to release your modified versions
+as free software.  A free license may also permit other ways of
+releasing them; in other words, it does not have to be
+a <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a> license.  However, a
+license that requires modified versions to be nonfree does not qualify
+as a free license.
+</p>
+
+<p>
 Sometimes government <a id="exportcontrol">export control regulations</a>
 and trade sanctions can constrain your freedom to distribute copies of
 programs internationally.  Software developers do not have the power to
@@ -369,27 +357,7 @@
 </p>
 </div>
 
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>Required compliance with a nonfree license
-is unacceptable, but jusrisdiction may be specified</p></blockquote>
-
-<div class="columns">
-<p>
-A free license may not require compliance with the license of a
-nonfree program.  Thus, for instance, if a license requires you to
-comply with the licenses of &ldquo;all the programs you use&rdquo;, in
-the case of a user that runs nonfree programs this would require
-compliance with the licenses of those nonfree programs; that makes the
-license nonfree.
-</p>
-
-<p>
-It is acceptable for a free license to specify which jurisdiction's
-law applies, or where litigation must be done, or both.
-</p>
-</div>
-
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>Contract-based licenses may be unacceptably
-restrictive</p></blockquote>
+<h4>The special case of contract-based licenses</h4>
 
 <div class="columns">
 <p>
@@ -410,9 +378,9 @@
 legitimate, we will have to think about it, and we will probably conclude
 it is nonfree.
 </p>
-
 </div>
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>Avoid confusing terms</p></blockquote>
+
+<h4>Free software licenses in practice</h4>
 
 <div class="columns">
 <p>
@@ -425,11 +393,7 @@
 a list of proper <a href="/philosophy/fs-translations.html">translations of
 &ldquo;free software&rdquo;</a> into various languages.
 </p>
-</div>
-
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>How we interpret these criteria</p></blockquote>
 
-<div class="columns">
 <p>
 Finally, note that criteria such as those stated in this free software
 definition require careful thought for their interpretation.  To decide
@@ -443,12 +407,7 @@
 a conclusion about a new issue, we often update these criteria to make
 it easier to see why certain licenses do or don't qualify.
 </p>
-</div>
 
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>Get help with free software
-licensing</p></blockquote>
-
-<div class="columns">
 <p>
 If you are interested in whether a specific license qualifies as a free
 software license, see our <a href="/licenses/license-list.html">list
@@ -472,9 +431,9 @@
 </p>
 </div>
 
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>Beyond Software</p></blockquote>
+<h3>Beyond Software</h3>
 
-<div class="columns">
+<div class="reduced-width">
 <p>
 <a href="/philosophy/free-doc.html">Software manuals must be free</a>,
 for the same reasons that software must be free, and because the
@@ -496,9 +455,9 @@
 </p>
 </div>
 
-<blockquote class="subhead"><p>Open Source?</p></blockquote>
+<h3>Open Source?</h3>
 
-<div class="columns">
+<div class="reduced-width">
 <p>
 Another group uses the term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; to mean
 something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software&rdquo;.  We
@@ -508,7 +467,6 @@
 never refers to freedom</a>.
 </p>
 </div>
-</div>
 
 <h3 id="History">History</h3>
 
@@ -695,7 +653,7 @@
 
 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2016/11/03 16:36:36 $
+$Date: 2016/11/08 20:14:32 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>