Author: Charles Roberson
Date: 17:48:56 02/15/05
Go up one level in this thread
On February 15, 2005 at 19:31:58, Dann Corbit wrote:
>On February 15, 2005 at 18:38:43, John Merlino wrote:
>
>
>However, you can use the algorithms. Just not the code. What that means
>exactly will differ somewhat (perhaps) due to personal opinions.
>
Years ago, there was what some would call legal corporate theft.
I suppose it still happens but I heard about in the 1980's far more
than I do now. And they had a name for the initial person, I just don't
remember that name now. Here is how it goes:
The initial person learns a piece of software from end to end. This
was done without source code (maybe). He writes up a very descriptive
document then is no longer on the project (legally he couldn't be). Now,
the new team builds functionaly equivalent software from reading this
document without ever seeing or touching the original program. This was
considered legal!!!
Now, I'd like to see people publish a document on their open source
programs so that others could learn from them if they like without
reading the code and there should be no code in the document. Seems to
me you could read such a document and produce a program based on it
and it not be called a clone by your above statement.
For instance, if someone published all of the comments in Crafty without
the code and you successfully made a program of that, would it be a clone.
A close example of what I am talking about is Bruce Morelands site.
Read his site and create a program based solely on what you see there.
At this point,
do you have your own program?
can it enter competitions?
Yes, you should thank Bruce,
but is he the author
is your program a clone?
Can your program enter tournaments?
Does Bruce have rights pertaining to your program?
When I started NoonianChess, documentation was hard to come by. Now, it
is better (due to this forum and other sites) and when Bruce finishes
his site, I'll see little need to start a program with open source code.
In fact, I recommend to people to read Bruce's site and a few articles on
the web and stay away from open source code.
The big benefit of open source code is in academic projects for testing
the effectiveness of some new algorithm or technique. That is what was
done in the early days of the internet. It was just scientist sharing to
promote productivity. But now, the scientists are the small minority on
the web. So, maybe open source should be reconsidered. I've heard of
people trying to sale open source code off as their own work for money.
In the cases I heard of the purchasing company caught them at it and told
them that is illegal in the USA even if they live in another country.
Also, the use of open source allows companies, that make internal use only
programs, to increase producivity and reduce staff sizes.
If one is going to actually have "their own" program, then stay away
from open source code.
Not to mention, it gets dull seeing freshman questions here from people
that have a program as strong as Crafty.
Charles
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