Editing The Open Source Definition (section)

===Debian diverges===
In November 1998, [[Ian Jackson (computer programmer)|Ian Jackson]] and others proposed several changes in a draft versioned 1.4, but the changes were never made official. Jackson stated<ref>Ian Jackson: [http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/1998/11/msg01944.html Draft new DFSG], debian-devel mailing list</ref> that the problems were "loose wording" and the patch clause.

The Debian General Resolution 2004-003,<ref>[http://www.debian.org/vote/2004/vote_003 General Resolution: Editorial amendments to the social contract]</ref> titled "Editorial amendments to the social contract", modified the Social Contract. The proposer Andrew Suffield stated:<ref>Andrew Suffield: [http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2004/01/msg00692.html Re: Candidate social contract amendments (part 1: editorial) (3rd draft)], debian-vote mailing list</ref>

: "The rule is 'this resolution only changes the letter of the law, not the spirit'. Mostly it changes the wording of the social contract to better reflect what it is supposed to mean, and this is mostly in light of issues that were not considered when it was originally written."

However, the change of the sentence "We promise to keep the Debian GNU/Linux Distribution entirely free software" into "We promise that the Debian system and all its components will be free" resulted in the release manager, Anthony Towns, making a practical change:<ref>Anthony Towns: [http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2004/04/msg01929.html Social Contract GR's effect on Sarge], debian-devel mailing list</ref>

: "As [SC #1] is no longer limited to 'software', and as this decision was made by developers after and during discussion of how we should consider non-software content such as documentation and firmware, I don't believe I can justify the policy decisions to exempt documentation, firmware, or content any longer, as the Social Contract has been amended to cover all these areas."

This prompted another General Resolution, 2004–004,<ref>[http://www.debian.org/vote/2004/vote_004 General Resolution: Sarge Release Schedule in view of GR 2004-003]</ref> in which the developers voted overwhelmingly against immediate action, and decided to postpone those changes until the next release (whose development started a year later, in June 2005).