[NTLUG:Discuss] Debian and proposed change to social contract: clarification?

[Richard Cobbe]

Greetings, all.

I've been planning on trying out Debian for a while, and the combination of
the problems with RH7 and some upcoming free time mean that I'm finally
going to get the chance.

However, before I take the plunge, there's something I'd like some
additional information on.  There's been a lot of discussion lately about
some proposed changes to the Debian Social Contract that would remove all
`non-free' software from the Debian archives.

Could someone either post a brief summary of the issues, or post a link to
such a summary?

My questions are pretty basic:

* What, exactly, is *in* the `non-free' collection?  Is there a place on
  the net where I could browse through these packages to see exactly what's
  involved?

* If the proposal passes and these packages are removed, would it still be
  possible to obtain the same software in .deb form from other sites?

I guess I'm primarily concerned that it will no longer be convenient to
install, say, Netscape on a Debian machine if this proposal is accepted.

Hoping someone can clarify this,

Richard