The weights are the preferred form for modifying or integrating with other models. There is no obligation in open source to transitively open source all of the documentation / tools used to create the open source project.
>a term that it seems nearly everyone has agreed is appropriate
Models being considered open source even if the original training code / data is not released also is something almost everyone has agreed to be appropriate.
> There is no obligation in open source to transitively open source all of the documentation / tools used to create the open source project.
Open source means open source code. Open weight means a binary file dump, not unlike an exe file. There is nothing open source about it.
Its like having a closed source text editor that censors certain words, and an open source text editor that censors certain words.
The latter can easily be recompiled, the former requires reverse engineering. Both may give you a license to use them freely.
> The weights are the preferred form for modifying or integrating with other models
It's the 2nd time I hear this argument and I'm already fed up with it
Is it the preferred way only because training is expensive? It's like saying binaries are the preferred way of modifying program because you can't afford to have a fast enough machine to compile it yourself.
Most people don't have resources to compile their own browser, but what makes some browsers open is access to the source.
Maybe it's the preferred way because the people sharing models are themselves working with weights and no data?