On 27 April 2010 22:45, Alfred M. Szmidt <a...@gnu.org> wrote: > > That is more or less what a potentional contributor gets via > > email when submitting a patch. I don't see how a web form would > > make things different. > > True, but I think it would make a significant difference if the web > form could be filled out online without requiring a piece of paper, > a pen, and a stamp. > > There are two forms to be filled out, the `request' and then the > `assignment'. I'm guessing you are refering to the assignment here, > since that is the paper form--I was refering to the request form. I'd > love to see that, and all GNU project maintainers would be happy about > it, but that is a topic for the FSF, its lawyers and Richard.
Given the feedback we have got in this thread, it would make a significant difference if all the process could be done via a web form. I regularly sign copyright papers for conferences and publishers via web, e.g., IEEE and ACM. If the FSF insists that a hard-copy signature is absolutely necessary, then the web form should provide a personalized pdf that can be printed, signed and sent by fax or email, which is the method that have been used in academia since faxes were invented. If snail mail is absolutely necessary, still a clear and flexible web form could greatly improve the situation. As for clear, we have seen that the process is more than obscure. As for flexible, it seems clear that the current form is not sufficiently personalized, which makes it more difficult to get it signed by an employer. It is not sufficient to put the current procedure in the web. The procedure itself has to be improved. Cheers, Manuel.
