User:Trevdna/HelpDeskDiscussion

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[edit] GDFL & public domain

Hello, all. I posted this on the talk page to the GDFL a while ago, and nobody answered. Is there a difference between licensing something under the GDFL, and releasing it into the public domain? If so, what? Which one is less restrictive to future users of the work? Where should I use one or the other if I want to release something? Can anyone help?

Also, where could I go to find the edit count for myself or someone else? Thank you! --Trevdna 17:32, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

The GFDL is a license. When you release something under it, you retain the copyright. You can still do anything that you want with it, such as sell it, although its value is likely to be much reduced, since anyone can get it for free by complying with the GFDL license. When you release work under the GFDL, those who use it must comply with the terms of this license. These include a requirement to acknowledge the authorship. The terms also require that if the user publishes copies, those copies must also be released under the GFDL, including any modified copies, and including any derived works or composite works that include GFDL content. This is what makes the GFDL a "copyleft" license. There are other requirements as well.
If you place work in the public domain, you are giving up all rights to it. you have no control over what anyone else may do with it. Someone may take public domain work, change it very slightly, and publish it under their own copyright with no acknowlegment of the original author. (This may be unethical but is legal under U.S. law.)
For most text that a person might contribute to wikipedia, the practical effects are not very different. If you are publishing a complete work of your own, there are advantages to retaining copyright but granting a broad license. The GFDL is not the only such license. The details of the requirements each license imposes on users varies. Some people think one is better than another. DES (talk) 17:52, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
For your edit count (or anyone else's), see Wikipedia:Kate's Tool. pfctdayelise 01:48, 22 December 2005 (UTC)
Thank you. --Trevdna 20:02, 24 December 2005 (UTC)
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