[Draft] Open Letter to CNRI: Request for clarification

[Gerrit Muller]

The most effective letter contains an open question: asking for
clarification and rationale. Give CNRI the credit for years of active
support and hence assume a good intention.

A letter which sounds like an accusation will force CNRI in the defense,
which at best
results in political correct statements and worst case in lawyer lingo
or silence.

Peter Schneider-Kamp wrote:
>[...snip...]
 --- begin open letter
-------------------------------------------------------
> To: Dr. Robert E. Kahn <rkahn at cnri.reston.va.us>,
>     (president of The Corporation for National Research Initiatives)
> 
> Dear Mr. Kahn,
> 
> as a member of the Python Community which gathers around the newsgroup
> comp.lang.python I would like to express my concern about the latest
> license issues that have arisen around the new 1.6/2.0 releases.
> 
> As of now I have not had the chance to witness any official statement
> from your institution. So I sincerely request a clarification of CNRI's
> position on this matter.
<add>We are especially interested in the underlying intention of this
change.</add>
> 
> I have attached a list of signatures of members of the Python Community
> who are also concerned about the recent developments and through their
> signature support this request for clarification.
> 
> Kind regards,
> Peter Schneider-Kamp
> 
<delete the entire Post Scriptum, it sounds too accusing>
> P.S.:
> I find it rather startling that you see a need to change the license of
> a software whose development already has moved away from your institution.
> 
</delete>
> --- end open letter ----------------------------------------------------------
> --- begin signature list -----------------------------------------------------
> Diehard Py. Fan (diehard at python.fan)
> Implementation Issue (impl at implement.com)
> Want My Python Now (Want.My at Python.Now)
> ...
> --- end signature list -------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Or should it better by a letter from the community to CNRI?

Don't make it too anonimous, a single spokesman backed by the community
is OK.

> 
> while 1: if feedback: break
> Peter
> --
> Peter Schneider-Kamp          ++47-7388-7331
> Herman Krags veg 51-11        mailto:peter at schneider-kamp.de
> N-7050 Trondheim              http://schneider-kamp.de

-- 
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Gerrit Muller                Philips Research Laboratories Eindhoven
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