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I will add my own testimonial support to Hélène's description of what happened. The discussion among French-speaking OA advocates was strongly informed by people that had been involved in the free software movement. Bernard Lang was one of the founders of the AFUL ("Association francophone des utilisateurs de logiciels libres" - why the second "l" never appeared remains one of the great post-resurrection mysteries... <IMG SRC="cid:1439478666.2659.27.camel@pc" ALIGN="middle" ALT=":-)" BORDER="0"> ) and so was I. People like Bernard and myself, and probably others, were acutely aware of the battles between "free software" - free as "free speech", not as "free beer", Stallman famously declared - and "open source" software. We all clearly understood the consequences of not sufficiently foregrounding the issue of freedom and control. We all pushed for "libre". The result, in French, was "Libre accès" and not "accès ouvert".<BR>
<BR>
Now, Hélène is also right to say that it is too late now to change things in English. In a world where new vocabulary is constantly inserted into the OA debates, which unfortunately muddies the waters, we should strive for a few, unambiguous, terms such as "libre" vs. "gratis" to disambiguate "free" in English, and remember that Gold covers two sub varieties: APC-Gold, and non-APC-Gold (sometimes called, less transparently, fair Gold). Let us beware of vocabulary such as "open choice", "hybrid", "public access", etc. Open Access is libre and gratis access. Full stop.<BR>
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jcg<BR>
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Jean-Claude Guédon
Professeur titulaire
Littérature comparée
Université de Montréal
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Le jeudi 13 août 2015 à 16:07 +0200, Hélène.Bosc a écrit :
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Nicolas,<BR>
<BR>
A small story about “Libre”, specially about the French « Libre Accès”.<BR>
<BR>
This terminology was decided by the small French translators team to which I belonged and who worked for the launch of the website of the Budapest Open Access Initiative, in the beginning of February 2002 <A HREF="http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read">http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read</A><BR>
<BR>
The translators team was composed of Viviane Bouletreau (who did the major part of the translation) Jean-Paul Ducasse, Jean-Claude Guédon, Bernard Lang, Stevan Harnad, and myself. <BR>
<BR>
In editing the translation, I noticed that “Open Access“ which was correctly translated by “Accès Ouvert”, was not as explicit as it could be and I suggested “Libre Accès” instead. <BR>
<BR>
I remind Bernard Lang working at INRIA. (See INRIA at <A HREF="http://www.inria.fr/institut/inria-en-bref/inria-en-quelques-mots">http://www.inria.fr/institut/inria-en-bref/inria-en-quelques-mots</A> ) saying : “I agree with you, because as a computer scientist I love all that is LIBRE!!! <BR>
<BR>
For the D day, that is for the 13 February 2002, only the English and the French version were online . Below some excerpts from the French version which is at <A HREF="http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/translations/french-translation">http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/translations/french-translation</A><BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">« Pour diverses raisons, ce type de mise à disposition en ligne gratuit et sans restriction, que nous appelons l'</FONT>accès libre… <BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">…L'accès libre à la littérature des revues à comités de lecture est le but. L'</FONT>auto-archivage (I.) et une nouvelle génération de revues alternatives en libre accès (II…»<BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">After reading this, you can easily understand that I agree with your idea of spreading the word “Libre" but I cannot agree with your idea of changing the terminology, now. It is too late! </FONT><BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Have you an idea of the number of documents missing in a Google search if you type only the word “Libre" for asking for “Open”? </FONT><BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">The new comers in the subject will be lost, as usual! What is what ? This new terminology will not help the progress of “Open “or “Libre” : on the contrary. Furthermore, there is a long story of “Open Access Gratis” and” Open access Libre “(Cf the discussion between Peter Suber and Stevan Harnad in 2008) <A HREF="http://www.sparc.arl.org/resource/gratis-and-libre-open-access">http://www.sparc.arl.org/resource/gratis-and-libre-open-access</A> </FONT><BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">: the number of documents you will get in a Google search talking about “Libre Access” will be restricted to this kind of OA!</FONT><BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">A word or a concept is created is by those who proposed it and who stayed in the first place for talking about it during many years. You are 15 years too late! Even in 2002, it was too late to change this "new" terminology.</FONT><BR>
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<FONT COLOR="#000000">Best wishes.</FONT><BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Hélène Bosc </FONT><BR>
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<FONT SIZE="2"><FONT COLOR="#000000"><A HREF="http://open-access.infodocs.eu/hbosc/">http://open-access.infodocs.eu/hbosc/</A></FONT></FONT><BR>
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Hélène Bosc
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----- Original Message -----
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From: "Nicolas Pettiaux" <<A HREF="mailto:nicolas@pettiaux.be">nicolas@pettiaux.be</A>>
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To: "Global Open Access List (Successor of AmSci)" <<A HREF="mailto:goal@eprints.org">goal@eprints.org</A>>
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Cc: "Lawrence Lessig" <<A HREF="mailto:lessig@law.harvard.edu">lessig@law.harvard.edu</A>>; "Robert Darnton" <<A HREF="mailto:robert_darnton@harvard.edu">robert_darnton@harvard.edu</A>>
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Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2015 7:00 PM
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Subject: [GOAL] libre vs open
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> Dear all,<BR>
> <BR>
> This is only my second message to this list, after the<BR>
> self-presentation, written a little earlier today.<BR>
> <BR>
> Much discussion on this list, as well as in the literature and in the<BR>
> academic world today discuss about Open Access, Open Source, Open<BR>
> Innovation, Open Data, Open Educational Resources, Open Curriculum ...<BR>
> OPEN something.<BR>
> <BR>
> And we have seen the different meanings that people can give to Open<BR>
> Access for example, leading to a further precision, Green Open Access<BR>
> versus Gold Open Access. Different people have different definitions<BR>
> about the single "open" word.<BR>
> <BR>
> Such discussion has taken place since a long time in the software<BR>
> communities that I know well. it started with "free software" in 1981<BR>
> lead by Richard Stallman and Eben Moglen, and the words "open source"<BR>
> have been introduced in 1998 by Bruce Perens and Eric Raymond,<BR>
> purposedly to answer possible concerns by the "business world" about the<BR>
> ambiguity of the English "free", meaning gratis (zero cost) as well as<BR>
> libre (as in freedom).<BR>
> <BR>
> Richard Stallman, who claims that the ethical aspects are extremely<BR>
> important, and I would now support his views, is not pleased at all with<BR>
> the extension that the words "open source" have taken, replacing "free<BR>
> software" in many mouths and many circumstances.<BR>
> <BR>
> In the software communities, we have nearly seen fights and strong<BR>
> discussions about such topic, free versus open software.<BR>
> <BR>
> In many circles, the adjective "libre", well known and understood in<BR>
> Latin derived languages like Spanish and English, as emerged to stress<BR>
> the aspect linked to the freedom that one gains, much more than the<BR>
> practical and often economical benefits gained thanks to the freedom and<BR>
> the derived openness.<BR>
> <BR>
> I read that the word "libre" as been more and more accepted in English<BR>
> (see <A HREF="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libre_(word">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libre_(word</A>) ), used to describe<BR>
> something as being "free" in the sense of "having freedom" or "liberty"<BR>
> and being distinguished fomr the free (as in "no cost")<BR>
> <BR>
> I would therefore propose that, as in knowledge and all related works<BR>
> and material, it is the freedom and the liberty that is the most<BR>
> important (and the derived costless access too, but as derived benefit)<BR>
> that we replace all the occurence of "open" by "libre" to consider<BR>
> "libre access", "libre educational resources", "libre data", "libre<BR>
> knowledge", "libre software" ...<BR>
> <BR>
> Such a simple word change could lead to larger semantic changes, and<BR>
> even though it could mean new references, and new usages, it could also<BR>
> stress some important facts in most readings I have about these topics,<BR>
> for example in the book "Open Access" by Peter Suber, that the true<BR>
> freedom that the user gains is the one most susceptible to provide<BR>
> larger benefits, and profit mankind.<BR>
> <BR>
> What do you think about such a proposal ? ( replace all the occurence of<BR>
> "open" by "libre" to consider "libre access", "libre educational<BR>
> resources", "libre data", "libre knowledge", "libre software" ...)<BR>
> <BR>
> I am looking forward to reading from you,<BR>
> <BR>
> Best regards,<BR>
> <BR>
> Nicolas<BR>
> <BR>
> -- <BR>
> Nicolas Pettiaux, dr sc<BR>
> <A HREF="mailto:nicolas@pettiaux.be">nicolas@pettiaux.be</A><BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
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