handling attributions for Docs

[Karsten Wade]

Now we have a clear need for attributing source information: thanks to
being relicensed under CC BY SA 3.0 means we can import lots of good
content and so we're likely to do so.  Efficient attribution is now
important.

There are two parts to this discussion:

* Technical - how it works in DocBook and Publican
* Brand - how does the Fedora Documentation Project want to attribute

I was going to look at it from a social angle, but I think the brand
angle overrides the social angle.  Read on for more.

== Technical proposal ==

To handle copyright attribution, I recommend we adopt this approach:

* For single or a few imports of a chunk of attributable content, use
  a <footnote>.  Attribution happens on the page it occurs.

  Example: Pulling a description of AES encryption from Wikipedia for
  the Fedora Security Guide.

* For longer imports, blends, or remixing of content, use
  <legalnotice>.

  Example: All of the people who work on a guide over the years would
  be lists in a standard format under the primary Fedora/Red Hat legal
  language.

For the <legalnotice> usage, we would need:

* A standard format for all attributions, to make it fair, clear,
  equitable.  Alphabetical, for example.

* A change to Publican(?) to look for and use a file,
  en-US/Attribution.xml, if it is present.  This allows attribution to
  be kept within the main document source tree.

== Brand proposal ==

This is a proposal only affecting Fedora-branded works.  An upstream,
such as the "Linux Security Guide"
(https://fedorahosted.org/securityguide/), can attribute as it sees
fit, just as a downstream "Red Hat Enteprise Linux Security Guide" can
attribute as it sees fit.

Currently, for some works, we have primary authors in a long list on
the front cover of a work.  We've long discussed swapping that for
"Fedora Documentation Project".

Especially as we work with a larger group, the list of authors on the
front cover grows.  It visually competes with the Fedora branding.

In other parts of the Fedora Project, we don't see the authors
presented in that fashion.  Anaconda is "Anaconda Team
<anaconda-devel(a)redhat.com&gt;&quot;.  This is more the norm for FLOSS
projects.

This is how a "Fedora Docs Team" focus looks in practice:

http://docs.fedoraproject.org/release-notes/f12/en-US/html/

A good bonus to that would be having either a link to the project page
or text inline that links to the mailing list or project page.

Another idea is to have a notice in the authorship/editorship section,
"For full attribution of contributions to this work, refer to the
[legalnotice]."

One reason for picking a standard is to set the expectation for how we
attribute under the Fedora brand.  When we put up individual names, it
creates a competitive space.  External content originators that are
remixed may demand front-page attribution.  This causes the visual
appeal to diminish while increasing the attribution maintenance.

Having _all_ Fedora-branded guides follow the same standard that puts
the Fedora brand first does the best service to the Fedora Project.
It gives us the least headaches.  I think it is the right thing to do.

What do you think?

- Karsten
-- 
Karsten 'quaid' Wade, Community Gardener
http://quaid.fedorapeople.org
AD0E0C41