Hi

I am looking for healthy debate and comments on the project I am working on.

I have been coding a brand new forum script in PHP [info: AZbb :: AZ Bulletin Board].

I am halfway through and hope to finish it within few months.

I have mixed feelings about the format and licence of the release.

Here are what comes to mind:

- I have included numerous security features that are not currently in any forum/BBS script that I have seen anywhere.
- There are other new features, which regardless of licence would be copied as they are presentational.
- I am doing all the coding and that has involved up to 14 hours of work per day.
- I do not mind releasing it under GNU public licence but that brings a number of dilemmas:
---- I don't mind the average user who only wants to use it but if released openly, there would be others who would copy the code and release similar script and gain financially from it
---- Although examining the code could help improve its security; it could also expose it to the crackers
---- I can do with some financial help [I am really broke]

What are your views?

Thanks

im all for open source ...so the 'dilemmas' you've mentioned would have no impact on my decision (not saying that it isn't something that people do think about...). i'm am currently working on an opensource , multi-platform game engine (no details yet :) ...it's a secret) ...it's a fucking HUGE project for someone as underskilled as i am (for now at least :) ..but whenever i do finish it, i will release it GPL and hand it out. for once in my life i've found something that no one will ever take away from me , my freedom. i believe through open source we can give others their share of freedom as well ...i think it's something that you either fully believe in and support or you don't (sure there are people who just 'use' open source software because most it if is free($), they take it and use it to learn from it and possibly take what they've learned and maybe make a little dough)

..theoretically 'others' can't copy your code and use it in their's AND force their users to pay ...that's what the GPL is for... it's open.. it's for everyone..

.it would indeed expose it to crackers ...however, if this script of yours becomes widely adopted ...any vulnerabilities would be fixed in short time by the community any way...possibly before some mal-intentioned kid gets his hands on it.

..thirdly ...that is tough ...being broke :) (i know, and it sucks but...<?>) , i'm not sure exactly how much money open source projects (of mid-level and lower sizes atleast) , fare on the financial spectrum... that's gonna have to be something you weigh out and decide.

if it's mainly the money you're worried about .. go ahead and use a 'stricter' license at first and see where the demand is.. if it kicks off ..cool, maybe you will be your own boss :) .take peoples opinions on it, see where it stands as far as functionality (security...whatever), is concerned, and go from there.

DISCLAIMER::
these are just my opinions ...they are not to be taken to heart...

ps ...i don't use BB software (don't even have a website :)

:)

What I would like the most, is having a paying job working on free software. But I'm not good enough (yet?) I'm afraid. The idea of GPL'd software is that you can charge for it, and especially for supporting it, or for adding/changing features. Also you do not have to make your software publicly available, but to the people you sell it you are required by the GPL to offer the sources and the same freedom on the software as you have. I.e. if you sell it, the buyer would be free to give 1024 copies away for free.

You could try to sell configured linux-boxes + support to (small?) companies with an intranet / workflow system around your BB-program. Companies may not like having software made by a single person, because the software would be "dangling" if that one person quits his/her business, or something. With GPL'd software this would not be much of a proplem to them, because they could always hire someone else to maintain/support the softwareas the source is readily available. This may be something of a selling point.

I'm not sure. Just some thoughts about how I hope things could work.

I think your best bet is to offer to sell support for your program
and release it under the GPL. Companies are wary of adopting a
program with no clear upgrade/support plan. If your program
garners enough interest and you get a community of users
helping to support the program you'll be nicely set up. Probably
besides the point but you'll get a case of the warm and fuzzies
giving back to the open source community. There's no guarentee
of success in either proprietary/closed source or open
source arenas. Software is a tough business.

Good luck.

If your program is good enough and you release it, it WILL be copied, one way or another. Such is life - try to be flattered.

Your code is copyrighted anyway - the sequence of programming idioms you have used is protected already. Make sure you put a copyright notice at the top of every file in your project.

You could release it generally under the GPL and sell other licences do not require publication of source code, assuming you own the copyright to ALL the software or have permission to publish it under whatever licence. Although, any contributions to the security model, from the "general public", would prevent its later release under a more restrictive licence (you will no longer have the copyright to all the code) unless they agreed to it.

If you have some genuinely innovative features, that can be abstracted from the implementation but specific to your application, then you could consider a patent (although it could bring bad karma upon you, like it or not patents are here to stay). As you are in the UK, you must not publish your work until you have filed for this (although IANAL so don't quote me).

Wealth will most likely come from your business acumen, silver tongue in front of the money men and your ruthless and merciless elimination of competition and anyone else who stands in your way

Many thanks for your comments.

After reading your coments and some discussion at other forums, I have come to the decision that AZbb would be Free for personal use under GPL.

Commercial exploitation of the code would be prohibited [somehow].

Since it is going to be GPL, I released some alfa screen shots for you. These are working copies and they are not complete.

What do you think?



AZbb :: AZ Bulletin Board :: alfa Screen Shots

If you want to choose a free for pesonal use license and not for
commercial you will have to find a license other than the GPL.

You could dual license your code, but every OSI approved
license prohibits "discrimination from fields of endevour"
meaning you can't say not for commercial use. So if you
choose to open source the project you won't be able to
prevent commercial use.

As for what dakensta about copyrights no longer belonging to
you. You can do what the FSF does and require contributions
to the project have their copyright signed over to you. That
does not prevent programmers from forking the code if they
think you are not running the project well.

As I was reading phpBB Licence:
http://www.phpbb.com/license.php

Also:
http://www.phpbb.com/downloads.php
And from YaBB:
http://www.yabbforum.com/licenses.php
Commercial vBulletin Licence is at:
http://www.vbulletin.com/license.html


I also saw a number of licences at:
http://www.opensource.org/site_index.php

I would be grateful for any information in this regard as I would like to have control over the code in case other would want to use it commercially or for commercial projects.

As mentioned I would like to extend the free use benefit to private users only. This is NOT a get rich script but on the other hand, it is not a 'someone else getting rich' script either.

Any funds raised would have primarily been used to pay for running cost of server etc which are currently covered by me.

What is FSF? Is it Free Software Fundation?

Many TIA