4 ms·

TIL about Rosetta code[0]. And I can't help but wonder what the license of the code in the site is. If it isn't BSD0 or some similar attempt at preemptive pub

by snvzz 2y ago

TIL about Rosetta code[0]. And I can't help but wonder what the license of the code in the site is. If it isn't BSD0 or some similar attempt at preemptive public domain, what is even the point of such a thing. 0. https://rosettacode.org/wiki/Rosetta_Code https://rosettacode.org/wiki/Rosetta_Code

jph 2y ago
Rosetta Code is a great resource and uses the GNU Free Documentation License 1.2.
- snvzz 2y ago
  I see this much, but that's not a code license; it is a documentation one.
  - Y_Y 2y ago
    Don Knuth might tell you that code and documentation don't need to be different. More seriously you can easily imagine Rosetta Code as just a way of teaching something, without an expectation that you'll compile or run it. In other words it is documentation, the fact that some of it is also code isn't a problem.
    - snvzz 2y ago
      Why would anyone teach with code that cannot be used for legal reasons? Instead of solving simple, common problems in many programming languages so that nobody has to ever do so again, this seems to make programming harder by excluding such solutions from being used. So now you have to find work arounds in order to NOT use the simple solutions in Rosetta. This is so evil. Should be called the tower of babel of code, rather than the rosetta stone.
      - Y_Y 2y ago
        > Why would anyone teach with code that cannot be used for legal reasons? Ask the Numerical Recipes guys! But for real, you can use this code, I don't think anyone said that you couldn't.
        snvzz 2y ago
        >you can use this code No, you absolutely cannot. This is how copyright works by default. You'd need to relicense your code, with the permission of anyone else who owns copyright to it, to this documentation license.
        Y_Y 2y ago
        I am your lawyer and this is legal advice, the code is available under the documentation license. It is there for you to use. Not using it is the real tort.
        snvzz 2y ago
        The GNU FDL 1.2 isn't compatible with the license of my code, and that of most code out there. There is not anyone who can use code under this license, in practice.
        Y_Y 2y ago
        I can use it. You can too. The users of your code can if you grant them a compatible license. You could also potentially relicense the Rosetta Code parts under section 11 of the FDL.
wisenull 2y ago
Rosetta Code is hosted on Miraheze. By clicking on Terms of Use at the bottom of any page you can see that the default for any wiki hosted by them is Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License: https://meta.miraheze.org/wiki/Terms_of_Use https://meta.miraheze.org/wiki/Terms_of_Use
- snvzz 2y ago
  CC-BY-SA would already be excessively restrictive for what are quite straightforward implementations of basic algorithms. But, literally the next string in that ToS: >Wiki owners can change this And they did. To FDL 1.2, a much less friendly license, in practice unusable.

by snvzz 2y ago

jph 2y ago

Rosetta Code is a great resource and uses the GNU Free Documentation License 1.2.

snvzz 2y ago
I see this much, but that's not a code license; it is a documentation one.
- Y_Y 2y ago
  Don Knuth might tell you that code and documentation don't need to be different. More seriously you can easily imagine Rosetta Code as just a way of teaching something, without an expectation that you'll compile or run it. In other words it is documentation, the fact that some of it is also code isn't a problem.
  - snvzz 2y ago
    Why would anyone teach with code that cannot be used for legal reasons? Instead of solving simple, common problems in many programming languages so that nobody has to ever do so again, this seems to make programming harder by excluding such solutions from being used. So now you have to find work arounds in order to NOT use the simple solutions in Rosetta. This is so evil. Should be called the tower of babel of code, rather than the rosetta stone.
    - Y_Y 2y ago
      > Why would anyone teach with code that cannot be used for legal reasons? Ask the Numerical Recipes guys! But for real, you can use this code, I don't think anyone said that you couldn't.
      - snvzz 2y ago
        >you can use this code No, you absolutely cannot. This is how copyright works by default. You'd need to relicense your code, with the permission of anyone else who owns copyright to it, to this documentation license.
        Y_Y 2y ago
        I am your lawyer and this is legal advice, the code is available under the documentation license. It is there for you to use. Not using it is the real tort.
        snvzz 2y ago
        The GNU FDL 1.2 isn't compatible with the license of my code, and that of most code out there. There is not anyone who can use code under this license, in practice.
        Y_Y 2y ago
        I can use it. You can too. The users of your code can if you grant them a compatible license. You could also potentially relicense the Rosetta Code parts under section 11 of the FDL.

wisenull 2y ago

Rosetta Code is hosted on Miraheze. By clicking on Terms of Use at the bottom of any page you can see that the default for any wiki hosted by them is Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License: https://meta.miraheze.org/wiki/Terms_of_Use https://meta.miraheze.org/wiki/Terms_of_Use

snvzz 2y ago
CC-BY-SA would already be excessively restrictive for what are quite straightforward implementations of basic algorithms. But, literally the next string in that ToS: >Wiki owners can change this And they did. To FDL 1.2, a much less friendly license, in practice unusable.