I love discussions comparing ethics versus money. It does not really matter what you or I think. I am like you, I think it is not appropiate for the two reasons you quoted. The reality is that a large portion of the population does not see it that way.


1) There plenty of examples of public free software that have become pay software. Either the publisher decides that do not want to release any more free updates. Or some one else takes over the code base and decides - all future versions will be for pay. Even though the complete source code for 2005 version is available on the net. The owner is charging $15.00 to get the 2006 executable when the source code for the 2006 version is 99,900 lines of public source code and 100 lines of new code.


2) I know it is against the Decal Code of Ethics. All you have for enforcement is - Do not do that... How do you propose to stop them - oh toothless and clawless snuggle kitty? Yula the herbivore hugs the harmless carnivore...

/Devil's advocate on


Well, what would prevent him from taking the source (which he apparently has), do a "find and replace" for LifeTank and call it "Bob" and then change the interface a little bit, rip out several features and spit it back out? Apple and others tried, and failed, to haul people into court for "look and feel" and failed.


I mean I don't know for sure, but is part of the CoE that you submit your source code to the Decal Devs for approval?

Dumb question to possible answer Arch.. but when they "blackball" something, doesn't that mean it won't run on Decal?


I would think changing Lifetank to "Bob" will not confuse those who know enough to write plug ins (which will include myself in about 2000 years )

 

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As far as I know, it's easy enough for a plugin dev to "get around" a plugin being killbitted/blackballed... Its intent was never to censor certain plugins from being used, but rather to disable old plugins or components that no longer work and can cause crashes, or perhaps disable a plugin at the author's request.

 

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You all have valid points.


Let's just see what the "Lifetank X Reborn dev's" decide to do!


I really think it's always been past the Decal devs. Remember Lifetank 1?


Payment was expected to authorization of the plugins features.


SpK profited for years on that fact alone.


I can call the next version's "Paypal" button a "Flavor and Update Fee".


That's not for profit. That's to keep the software updated and kept in it's flavor!


Such bull you guys are "trying" to pull. I would love to see this crap actually stick in court.


BTW (No need to edit it in)... My best friend is a Civil/Criminal Lawyer. She would LOVE to challenge your case if you ever actually got one going (she said she does know people in each state and it would be free upon my behalf since I am family.)! She heard about this post and laughed at you all and me. (She asked me to convey that too you.) She also says.. she thinks your all a bunch of power hungry geeks. She thinks im one also. LOL. I think shes great!


Shes right. Good luck in court if your gonna even pay the fees to get the case going. Based on your "in" college budget's I don't see it happening anytime...ever. But prove me wrong. BTW.. who you going to sue? Do you have names? No one actually said SUE.. but hey... your typed "eula" words headed me to believe that.

Digero: that's the exact reason for it.


We never presumed to make it be an end-all to kill off plugins where the developer doesn't want it dead.. it would be a fruitless effort. It would only be a matter of time before the plugin either went further underground, or changed just enough to get past the "ban".


It wasn't designed or intended for that purpose at all (as we claimed when we originally put it in). People were worried that we'd start banning ELTank and/or LifeTank when the truth of the matter is.. banning those plugins would only work if the developer wanted to keep it dead. Even then.. it's not impossible to hack around.


As for enforcement of the Code of Ethics... there was once a thing called Honor and Respect.. I know it's a foreign concept to many, but that is what was intended when the Code of Ethics were drafted. It was on the Honor system that developers would have enough class, honor, and respect to not break them. While there is no direct enforcement of it, we can clearly see who has respect for the works, and who doesn't.


It's all a moot point at this phase though since the ORIGINAL developer has now made a comment that the code is NOT FOR PROFIT. While even that may not be completely enforcable to many people, again, one would hope that developers have the class, honor, and respect to uphold the developer's wishes.

"As for enforcement of the Code of Ethics... there was once a thing called Honor and Respect.. I know it's a foreign concept to many, but that is what was intended when the Code of Ethics were drafted. It was on the Honor system that developers would have enough class, honor, and respect to not break them. While there is no direct enforcement of it, we can clearly see who has respect for the works, and who doesn't."


(EDIT:You're= The Decal Devs) Sorry Drak!


You’re preaching?!


About ethics none the less? LMFAO!


You’re the one who attacks people’s posts and keep it going 10X fold.


You're wanting respect... You better expect to give it also.


I am willing to compromise if everyone else is also. It's a give and get thing. The "rule" is correct.


The "behavior" has not been with the narcissist/elite attitudes of others but actually within The Decal Devs themselves. TDD FTL!

-BTW (No need to edit it in)... My best friend is a Civil/Criminal Lawyer.


Woo Hoo you pulled my friend is a lawyer card.

 

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-You're wanting respect... You better expect to give it also.


as much as i dont agree with the devs on alot of things , unlike you they actually acomplished something , other than putting up a website trying to make a profit of other peoples code against the authors wishes.

 

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AGAIN>.... Since you didn't read it fully and "correctly" (I suggest you stop speed reading..)


I said it could be .. or might be..


Nothing is set yet. SHOOT.. development hasn't even commensed yet until Jun 20th.


ALL MAYBES at this point.


NOTHING FOR SURE. Wait and see. I think it should be free also. I am just "The voice of Lifetank X reborn".