The Open Information Pledge

README.md

The Open Information Pledge

I believe in the freedom of information, free as in money, and free as in freedom. That this is a fundamental requirement for empowerment.

Ideas

I understand that ideas are not copyrightable. I expect that you understand this too. I expect that we can both regard all ideas discussed to be of Public Domain, as they are.

Implementations

I understand that the implementation of ideas is copyrightable. I understand that the underlying ideas of an implementation are not copyrightable. I understand that fair use applies to implementation of ideas. I understand implementations can be licensed to relinquish specified restrictions that copyright holds over implementations. I expect that you understand this too. I expect that all works I create to be able to be licensed permissively. I expect that I will be able to use the ideas from all implementations that I am exposed to. I expect that we are all able to re-use each others implementations where fair use and license permissions apply.

Restrictions

I understand that privacy does not impose any limitations on the information at hand, but rather only imposes limitations of the information about the individuals behind the information at hand. I understand that patents and copyright are tools used to protect implementations of ideas. I understand that NDAs and Confidentiality Agreements are tools used to thwart the sharing of ideas. I expect that you understand this too. I will respect your privacy, and will request your approval before I reveal your identity. I expect you to do the same. I will respect your ownership of copyright and obey to the terms inforceable by law. I expect you to do the same. I will not sign NDAs and Confidentiality Agreements, nor will I look at anything labelled Confidential. I expect you to not tell me anything Confidential, especially without my prior agreement that I will respect (and am able to respect) such confidential information beforehand.

Thoughts and feedback welcome! Would you sign this? Why so? Why not?

I'm considering putting this on my contact form on my website, so that everyone knows where I stand in regards to communication with myself. Keen to know what you think and how it could be improved.

Would be awesome, that after some necessary revisements, perhaps a lawyer review, to be able to set this up as a website where people can sign it digitally and you can see their signatures etc at the bottom, and provide a badge for websites instead.

Actions speak louder than words, usually. Why spend time saying I live openly when I can instead live openly? :-)

@whit537 that's certainly true. I think the scope here is to just set expectations upfront. Too often than not, situations can occur where one takes something for granted, or intentions are misinterpreted. For instance the "oh by the way, all we talked about here is confidential, don't tell anyone" I hear all the time. A document like this would be able to say, well here's my expectations on how I communicate, does that work with you? In a more automated and official way than a 5 minute disclaimer at the start of each skype call.

Is there anything there that you would particularly disagree with? Or does that sum up the way you pretty much live your open life too?

@balupton

Would you sign this? Why so?

Yes! Because it is just how things should work. The simple idea of restricting ideas should be patented and copyrighted by an intelligent individual so nobody can use it. ;)

The idea of copyright and patents were only created to give the original author time to gain some profit from his invention or creation and it was for a short amount of time, only enough for him to make some profit off of it.

Nowadays we use them as a way to make our idea the one and only. Which is just plain wrong.

Just added this to my balupton/todo and balupton/learnings repos:

## License

I am a signer of the [Open Information Pledge](https://gist.github.com/balupton/6937426). Read that, respect that. TLDR:

- [Ideas are not copyrightable](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idea%E2%80%93expression_divide)
- Unless stated otherwise; all works are Copyright © [Benjamin Lupton](http://balupton.com) <b@lupton.cc> and licensed [permissively](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permissive_free_software_licence) under the [MIT License](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/MIT/) for code and the [Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) for everything else

License

I am a signer of the Open Information Pledge. Read that, respect that. TLDR:

• Ideas are not copyrightable
• Unless stated otherwise; all works are Copyright © Benjamin Lupton b@lupton.cc and licensed permissively under the MIT License for code and the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License for everything else