Re: DOM binding considered harmful, discriminates against open source]

Eric Richardson wrote:

> Could someone explain why free/open source would have to use different
> packages. This would defeat
> the portability in Java once the DOM can support full portability(version
> 3?).

It's just that as written, the Java/JavaScript/IDL code in the DOM is under
the W3C document copyright rather than the W3C software copyright.
The document copyright (rightly) forbids changing anything, but software
that contains unchangeable components is not Open Source
(http://www.opensource.org/osd.html).  Making the DOM code available under
the software copyright, extended to say "If you modify this you can't
use w3c.* packages or claim DOM compliance any more", does the trick.

-- 

Schlingt dreifach einen Kreis vom dies! || John Cowan <jcowan@reutershealth.com>
Schliesst euer Aug vor heiliger Schau,  || http://www.reutershealth.com
Denn er genoss vom Honig-Tau,           || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
Und trank die Milch vom Paradies.            -- Coleridge (tr. Politzer)

Received on Monday, 13 December 1999 14:58:32 UTC