Author: Reinhard Scharnagl
Date: 07:09:06 12/10/04
Go up one level in this thread
Hi all, there seem some things to be mixed up. I am not against Open Source, but that has nothing to do with freeware. The problem with Open Source especially in Germany is, that the GPL and related licensing papers are still not translated officially into the German language to be relyable for lawyers. Linux etc. could be much more accepted here if such questions would find their solution. The idea of Open Source as I understand it is to transfer the process of earning money from the establishing of a basing software to the later customer specific customizing process, thus allowing anybody to do that process because the base product is open. Within a chess program there is nothing to be customized with the help of an expert. Thus the refinancing of the efforts to create such a program could not be reached via such an typical Open Source customizing process. A chess program often is participating in tournaments, where it is relevant to know, whether the author has written that program himself or if it would be "patchworked" else form foreign sources. I regard computer chess programming to be a kind of sport and such cheating should not be welcomed. Thus any forms to publish well working chess programs are evil and very unnecessary. It is for sure possible to talk and write on new experiences in chess programming without supplying the whole source of a working program. And, where it seems to be unavoidable, the publishing could be restricted to well known involved people. There is no need to spread it world wide, establishing a global temp- tation. Thus my opinion is, that chess programs should not be part of the Open Source movement. If one would prefer to exchange chess knowledge and programs freely with other people, there is nothing which would argue against this, if only such people could benefit, which are contributing theirself something to that scene. I hardly can imagine a serious reason to have everybody participate on the fruits of a few creative persons. Reinhard.
This page took 0 seconds to execute
Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700
Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.