Editing LDP Documents HOWTO_new

just trying a rough, first draft of an alternative Editing HOWTO--definitely not finished, maybe it will help, maybe it won't

Introduction

The TLDP (The(?) Linux Documentation Project) is experimenting (are we past the experimenting stage?) with using a wiki to allow readers to modify, improve, and create new documents for the TLDP's collection.

If you are not familiar with a wiki, please do a little research:

• add some links, or write our own description?
• link
• ...

However, you should also know that this wiki has some rules that are a little different than some other wikis, often because the documents posted here have copyright and license considerations that must be properly handled.

We are in the process of getting permission from the original authors to allow modifications to be made on the wiki. It is not clear that all documents will get those permissions, and some authors may maintain the final say as to what goes into their document, even though they will allow some modifications.

Documents without Permission to Modify

Documents on this wiki for which we could not obtain the author's permission to modify will be marked immutable. If you find incorrect information or have other reasons to comment on such a document, you have a range of options, including:

• Start a new wiki page labeled something like CommentsOn<the original name of the page>, and include a link to that page from the original page. (Perhaps someone else has already started such a page and you can add your comments to that page.)

• Offer to write a new document superceding the old document. I won't discuss all the considerations here, but, among other things, unless you get permission from the original author (who may no longer be available) you will not be allowed to copy the original document and then modify it. You can read the original, do other research, and then write a new document based on your knowledge.

Documents with Permission to Modify

If you set out to modify an existing document, you may intend:

• Major rewrites or corrections (possibly seeking co-author status)
• Minor corrections of grammar, spelling, facts, or ?? (for which you don't (and should not) expect co-author status)
• Something inbetween??

Maybe the key decider here is whether you expect to be acknowledged as a co-author or not. If you do, you should contact the original author, let him know that is your intent, and try to come to an agreement. (Quite possibly the agreement will be on a tentative basis, depending on what you actually contribute.)

If you do not seek recognition as a co-author, proceed with your edits. IIUC, the author has no obligation to acknowledge your contributions, but most authors will be grateful and add your name to a list of people that contributed to the document in one way or another.

There is one other possible situation here that is a little different than many other wikis--an author may, for various reasons, decline to accept your contribution.

This could occur if you insist on offering your contribution under a license other than one which is compatible with the license of the original document. For this reason, it is preferred that you read the license for the original document and only make contributions that you are willing to license under those same terms, with the original author taking ownership of your contribution.

This could also occur if the author chooses to reject your contribution for any reason.