[sword-devel] OSIS (was Here's Our Chance: Copyright Negotations)

[Matthew Donadio]

"Troy A. Griffitts" wrote:
> Maybe I didn't expound very well.  I feel that Zondervan will offer
> their NIV text in OSIS format very soon.  If you are worried about using
> your favourite copyrighted texts in SWORD, you should feel confident
> that they will be available as OSIS texts in the near future, and sword
> will read OSIS texts soon.

Troy,

Can you comment any about publisher commitments to OSIS?  I poked around
on the OSIS website, but didn't find any information.  I looked at the
member list, and saw representatives from Zondervan, UBS, and ABS.

Personally, I feel that the only way that Sword can reach the next level
for English speaking countries is to be able to use the popular modern
translations and to be able to import modern references.  For English, I
mean NIV, NRSV, NASB, NKJV, and ESV.  I also would include NA27/UBS4 w/
accents and breating marks.

I use Sword to prepare handouts for classes that I am leading.  For the
NT, I use the WEB, and the OT, I usually use the RSV.  For what I am
doing, these texts and the widely available public domain commentaries
suffice.

However, my church use the NIV.  As a result, most of the books in my
library are referenced to the NIV.  Not having the NIV in Sword means
that I have to have a book (or several books) open at the same time I am
using Sword.  I am also taking a class right now, and the intructor
ususally uses the NRSV.  Again, if I want to use the Sword resources,
then I have to have another book open.  I am sure others are in the same
boat.

I have contemplated buying BibleWorks, but it lacks modern
commentaries.  I have thought about the premium Zondervan software
packages, but I don't want to spend $350 for a user interface that is
bad, and it doesn't include the ESV.

OK, I may be venting, but I am very curious, and a little sceptical.  I
have seen "standards" float by in my field (DSP, RTOS, embedded
pprogramming) that nobody follows.

-- 
Matthew Donadio (m.p.donadio@ieee.org)