Author: Dan Homan
Date: 14:28:44 03/21/00
Go up one level in this thread
On March 21, 2000 at 17:07:47, Georg v. Zimmermann wrote: >Thanks a lot for your very helpfull replies, guys. I read them a couple of times >and would like to comment on some things : > >---- > >1.) The "you only changed a small amount of the code" point > >> This may not be a good example, but.... Let's say you wanted to translate the >> Bible but since the King James version was so good you decided just to do >> orginal translation of about the 5 per cent you thought needed clarity. Now, >> could you say it was your translation or just a modification? (Jay Rinde) > >> I may try some 'rule of thumb' here: If you wrote more, than, say, 50% of code >> yourself, and the rest is based on some open source, you could say "[my >> program], based (originated) on [that program]". (Andrew Dados) > >Ok but If I look at cars in the streets they are named "BMW" and "Nissan" and >"GM" and "Ford" and not "A Benz with some modifications by BMW" or "A Benz with >some modifications by Ford" even though Benz invented the automobile and the >basic concepts are still the same ? > >Is there really a big difference between using someone elses code (if you >understand it completely - good point "Werner") and rewriting it - "stealing" >only the idea ? Dann Corbit says so, maybe you can explain why you say that ? > >---- > >2.) You might want to ask yourself: does the program NEED a different name ? >(GCP) > >Yes, because it plays in a completely different style! And when it plays matches >against the original it makes sense to have a different name, yes ? > >---- > >3.) About the Open Source Concept > >> I'm not trying to say there is anything wrong with having a competitive >> element. But if it's that what you are interested in, Open Sourcing the >> program (I assume you're actually talking about GPL'ed software ?) is >> definetely NOT the way to go. (GCP) > >I think I'm not the only one who plans to release "his" program one day, but who >first wants to see how it does against the competition, and prove that they >accomplished something, maybe invented something new. I believe IMHO that this >is a normal human behaviour ? > > >> However, there is another issue for you to consider. By starting >> your project from a GPL program, your modified version is also GPL. This >> means that if you ever give your version away (or sell it) to >> the public, you must make the source code of your version available >> to the public. (Dann Homan) > >Hmm.. one more question: can the the author of the original make a "special" non >GPL version of his program for me so that I don't have to release the source if >I give the modified program to people ? I think this would be fine, if the original author(s) were willing to do this. - Dan > >---- > >4.) 3 more words. > >I don't want to be understood wrong. I'm not planning to do as if I had done all >the work. I would never even consider this because the originals authour is a >real NICE guys who helped me a lot and was always been very patient even though >I'm a very poor programmer. > > >Thanks again for all the input, > >Georg
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