Fwd: Re: PDF-Plugin in Chrome

-- ??????????????????????????????????????????? Best Regards, ? Free Software Foundation Europe ?? ? Hannes Hauswedell ? German Team ?????? ? ? Coordinator for pdfreaders.org ?? ? ??????????????????????????????????????????? [1] Beside the blog quoted below, Chris DiBona also stated during Chrome's initial release that the whole browser would be open-source: http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/med_36.html [2] http://www.fsfe.org/news/2010/news-20101217-01.en.html On Thursday 04 November 2010 Hannes Hauswedell wrote: > Hi Jeff, hi Chris, > > thanks for your quick reply first of all! > > On a general note: While I understand your concern for your users' > security, it worries me to see (more) proprietary code integrated into > Chrome and the code-base of Chrome and Chromium dividing. > This seems bad, from multiple angles. Current Free Software users will > perceive this as being offered only a "Light"-Version of the original > product and feel that their platforms are not real target platforms. > Current Chrome users thinking of switching to a Free Operating System, > will perceive these systems as inferior, because less functionality is > available (most Free Operating System ship Chromium, not Chrome). > In the whole Google creates the impression, that Software Freedom or > "Open Source" is not that crucial, that "Open Core" (systems that build > on Free Software core components, but rely on proprietary add-ons or > plugins) is sufficient. This is very different from the message > originally conveyed with the release of Chrome/Chromium and stated by > various Google employees at different occasions. > > In this particular case Chrome encourages users to display PDFs with > proprietary software and thereby impedes the adoption of Free readers. > We are currently trying to make a point, that "Closed-Source", trade- > secrets, patents and the like are *not* necessary to view these files, > because they are published in an Open Standard. > > Google could play an important role in helping to spread this message. > After all, why should something rendering HTML be Free Software, but > something rendering PDF need not be? > By publishing the plugin as Free Software or negotiating with your 3rd > party to do so, Google could also help the technical progress and > improve standard compliance in other Free Software PDF-Readers. This > would strengthen PDF's perception as an Open Standard and increase > inter-operability. > > Quoting a famous post from your official blog: "Would open sourcing this > code promote the open Internet? Would it spur greater user, advertiser, > and partner choice? Would it lead to greater competition and innovation? > If so, then you should make it open source." > > We really think this is the case here and hope to further work towards > these ends together with you. > -- > ??????????????????????????????????????????? > Best Regards, ? Free Software Foundation Europe ?? ? > Hannes Hauswedell ? German Team ?????? ? > ? Coordinator for pdfreaders.org ?? ? > ??????????????????????????????????????????? > > > On Wednesday 03 November 2010 01:21:32 Jeff Chang wrote: >> [+Chris DiBona, Google's open-source programs manager] >> >> Hi Hannes, >> >> Here's some more info which hopefully sheds some more light on the >> situation. In June, we released an updated version of Google Chrome >> that incorporates an integrated PDF viewer ( >> http://blog.chromium.org/2010/06/bringing-improved-pdf-support-to-goo >> gle.html). This feature provides users with greater security, faster >> rendering of PDF content and a simpler user experience. Since the >> technology for the PDF viewer is licensed from a third party, we are >> unable to open source the code for it at this time or include it >> with open source Chromium builds. While we found this particular >> vendor to be the best option that meets all of our goals for the >> feature, there are many other open source PDF viewers and Chrome >> extensions that developers can include in their own versions of >> Chromium. >> >> best, >> Jeff >> >> On Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 3:16 PM, Hannes Hauswedell h2@fsfe.org wrote: >>> Dear Jeffrey, >>> >>> I am Hannes of the German chapter of the Free Software Foundation >>> Europe. I contacted Pam Greene on details regarding the PDF-Plugin >>> in Chrome/Chromium. Maybe you can help us with the matter >>> discussed below. >>> >>> Thank you very much, >>> -- >>> >>> ?????????????????????????????????????????? >>> ? >>> >>> Best Regards, ? Free Software Foundation Europe ?? >>> ? Hannes Hauswedell ? German Team >>> ?????? ? >>> >>> ? Coordinator for pdfreaders.org ?? ? >>> ??????????????????????????????????????????? >>> >>> On Monday 01 November 2010 03:20:07 Pam Greene wrote: >>> > Dear Hannes, >>> > >>> > Thanks for your note. The PDF plugin is not my area of specialty, >>> > but Jeffrey Chang (jeffreyc@google.com) should be able to help >>> > you find the information you need. >>> > >>> > Best regards, >>> > - Pam >>> > >>> > On Fri, Oct 29, 2010 at 11:45 AM, Hannes Hauswedell h2@fsfe.org >>> >>> wrote: >>> > > Dear Pam, >>> > > >>> > > Max Senges gave us your contact details, regarding the >>> > > PDF-Plugin in Chrome / Chromium. As you might be aware, we >>> > > have launched a web-site and campaign regarding Free Software >>> > > alternatives to Adobce Acrobat: http://pdfreaders.org >>> > > >>> > > As there has been little information following the original >>> > > announcement of embedded PDF support in Chrome, we were >>> > > wondering whether the plugin is licensed under the same terms >>> > > as the rest of the browser. Now it has recently been stated >>> > > [1] that this is not the case. >>> > > >>> > > Can you further comment on that? We were surprised to read that >>> > > with all of Google's commitment to Free Software in recent >>> > > times (including a Browser, two operating systems?), a >>> > > PDF-Plugin is not "under your control". (jam@chromium.org) >>> > > >>> > > We would really like to able to recommend a cross platform Free >>> > > Software web browser, that has integrated Free pdf support. In >>> > > our ongoing campaign to remove recommendations for Acrobat on >>> > > government and public sector web-sites and/or adding links to >>> > > pdfreaders.org, we are confident of increasing visibility of >>> > > the software recommended on our site. -- >>> > > >>> > > ??????????????????????????????????????? >>> > > ???? >>> > > >>> > > Best Regards, ? Free Software Foundation Europe >>> > > ?? ? Hannes Hauswedell ? German Team >>> > > ?????? ? >>> > > >>> > > ? Coordinator for pdfreaders.org ?? >>> > > ? >>> > > ?????????????????????????????????????? >>> > > ????? >>> > > >>> > > [1] >>> > > http://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=50852#c16 > > ----- Ende der weitergeleiteten Nachricht -----