[Openfontlibrary] Some suggestions

[Simos Xenitellis]

Nicu Buculei wrote:

> Simos Xenitellis wrote:
>
>>
>> 2. It is not good to distribute fonts individually as TTF files but 
>> as an archive (such as ZIP, 7Z, TGZ), because they should include 
>> some license.
>
>
> Is not possible to embed the license in the metadata, the same way we 
> are including it at OCAL?

Indeed, proper Free fonts include the licence material in the header as 
well. End-users typically cannot see this unless they search deeply. 
They typically can see the "(c) BY XYZ" line but not more.
Available fonts may fall in different categories, Free, freeware (but 
not for commercial use), freeware (but no derivative works), freeware 
(but cannot embed in document due to GPL as it forces the document to be 
covered by the GPL) and so on.

>> 3. Public domain fonts do not provide freedom (a la FSF), they are 
>> bad :)
>
>
> I think you are confused here, see 
> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html
>
> "Public Domain
>
> Being in the public domain is not a license--rather, it means the 
> material is not copyrighted and no license is needed. Practically 
> speaking, though, if a work is in the public domain, it might as well 
> have an all-permissive non-copyleft free software license. Public 
> domain status is compatible with the GNU GPL."

In the case of fonts, I would be happier if the author went into the 
trouble to attach an Open license and other documentation in an archive.
I can expect cases where non-free fonts are copied/added to make a new 
font. I know of one such case which would not have been spotted if it 
was a single TTF file.
I believe the most important issue of all is to differentiate this site 
from those "1000 free font sites".

>
>> 7. The Open Font License uses the initials OFL, which clashes with 
>> the Open Font Library.
>> It might look a bit marketing-y on my side, I would feel that it 
>> would be better to change Library to something like Repository, as in
>> Open Font Repository (OFR).
>> This would mean a few more bucks to register the new domain name and 
>> some administration work. Would this be ok with you? Please?
>
>
> IMO, "Repository" does not sound that good.
> And I like us using the same naming scheme as our other project, Open 
> Clip Art Library
>
Regarding other similar sites, see
http://www.alanwood.net/unicode/fonts.html
and
http://eyegene.ophthy.med.umich.edu/unicode/fontguide/

The first gives you a good understanding of what the font does, though 
it does not show "how" free each font is.
The second is a collection of Free fonts.

Simos