Network services/Definitions: Difference between revisions

From WikiDotMako
(some requirements/guidelines for a definition)
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* What do you do about Googlejuice?
* What do you do about Googlejuice?
* What do you do about identity?
* What do you do about identity?
* What do you do about global warming? (A: nothing.)
* Are external dependencies permitted?
* Are external dependencies permitted?
* Ease-of-install requirements?
* Ease-of-install requirements?

Revision as of 12:16, 15 March 2008

Definitions can be used, as in the Free Software and Free Culture definitions, to highlight network services that meet a standard of freedom.

Summary of current practices

OSD: Open data (private data only open to the user it's about) and public free software.

FOSD: this is more of a brainstorming/reference page than a definition; the draft definition produced from that process has been mailed to the mailing list and if someone nags me I'll put it on the web somewhere :)

Open issues

  • What do you do about Googlejuice?
  • What do you do about identity?
  • What do you do about global warming? (A: nothing.)
  • Are external dependencies permitted?
  • Ease-of-install requirements?
  • Interoperability requirements?
  • Requirement to share aggregate/anonymized user data?

Definition requirements

Some brainstorming requirements for what a free network services definition should be.

feasible
it should be technically and legally feasible to create a network service that meets the definition. It would be very nice if it were feasible to create useful, beneficial services that meet the definition. It would be a bonus to have a definition that could be met by services implemented by all kinds of entities, including commercial ones.
comprehensible
the language should be in the vernacular, roughly understandable by most people interested in the topic. OSD, FSD, DFSG, etc. are good guidelines for language level. Commonly-understood terms like "software" or "data" don't need to be defined.
parallel
the definition should be similar in spirit, level of detail, and comprehension to Free Software and Free Content definitions.
defensible
there should be a good rationale for each point.
general
it should cover all kinds of network services. In particular, it should not be limited to the Web; to RPC-style services or services with a UI; it should probably not make assumptions about the Internet (versus another network) or particular architectures like client-server or peer-to-peer.
timeless
it would be nice if the definition would be useful for people in 10-20 years.