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Conflicting software licenses
Currently, there's a pre-release agreement/license that you need to agree to before grabbing thumbstrips. There's also an MPL license included in the actual extension files themselves. Which of these takes precedence?
I would like to fix a few feature additions that I see would be useful, but can't currently do this with the pre-release license that I agreed to on download. This is a significant issue for me, as I'm used to being able to improve the software I run (I run linux and other Free Software like firefox for a reason).
Could the licenses be more clear? Either removing the MPL, or removing the pre-release license? Also, when will the pre-release be over, and will it be released as true MPL, or will another license be inserted in it's place? I suppose I ask because if there will be a restrictive license that does not comply with the OSI requirements, I need to look into building my own tool that achieves the same result and functionality, but is useful to the Open Source world as a whole.
I would like to fix a few feature additions that I see would be useful, but can't currently do this with the pre-release license that I agreed to on download. This is a significant issue for me, as I'm used to being able to improve the software I run (I run linux and other Free Software like firefox for a reason).
Could the licenses be more clear? Either removing the MPL, or removing the pre-release license? Also, when will the pre-release be over, and will it be released as true MPL, or will another license be inserted in it's place? I suppose I ask because if there will be a restrictive license that does not comply with the OSI requirements, I need to look into building my own tool that achieves the same result and functionality, but is useful to the Open Source world as a whole.
I’m frustrated
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Inappropriate?I also noticed that in other posts you've asked people if they've seen certain types of functionality (like docking panels at variable positions). Examining their code to "see how it's done" and then using that knowledge/code to implement it in this project is unlawful to my knowledge of the MPL, so long as the "pre-release agreement" license is in place. That license is quite restrictive in use of the code provided, whereas the MPL is quite open.
Being a FOSS developer myself, I generally get agitated when someone uses open source code in an essentially closed source project.
I’m agitated
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Inappropriate?Hi Dragonfyre13,
When we first launched ThumbStrips it was only available on the Intuit Labs website at http://intuitlabs.com/apps/thumbstrips Our legal folks required that we present the user with our EULA before downloading ThumbStrips. Eventually we moved ThumbStrips to the Mozilla site https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fire..., which uses the MPL license.
You bring up the exact topic we're working towards now regarding Open Sourcing ThumbStrips. We think ThumbStrips would thrive in the Open Source community and I'm driving this effort as we speak. Our legal department has approved the use of the MPL license once we Open Source the extension. I'm looking for a ThumbStrips user who would like to help drive ThumbStrips once it's Open Sourced. Would you be interesting in helping? I plan on using SourceForge.net as the Open Source platform.
We've been gathering feedback from our users via our blog, the Get Satisfaction site, and the Mozilla site. Regarding the docking panels issue, our goal in asking the users if they've seen other extensions do something similar was never intended to use similar code to improve ThumbStrips. We've heard from users that they want ThumbStrips to be dockable on the right or left side of the browser and not just on the bottom like we built it. We simply wanted to see what this looked like to help or brainstorming in how to improve ThumbStrips based on customer feedback.
Hope this helps.
- Scott -
Inappropriate?I apologize for insinuating that you would use FOSS code in a closed source project, it's simply that I've seen it so many times, generally by a company as large as intuit when they first foray into open source development. I didn't want to see that happen here.
As far as "Give the masses a lock option", there's a project called foxfilter that has done some really good stuff with locking. I would look at how they did things to check how to lock the software down.
As for my own participation in the project, I've led, and started FOSS projects before, so I may well be able to help you prepare for the transitional period. At this point, I'll definitely be involved from an improvements level as well, but I'm not ready for another project with my current FOSS schedule. That being said, the "low hanging fruit" is not difficult at all to add in, like persistence across sessions, locking down access, integration into firefox a bit better (put a config menu in the addons screen, not in the plugin itself. Integrate with current "History" menu, etc.). I wouldn't mind helping out on those. I need to get better acquainted with firefox plugins from a development perspective anyway, especially those that access the drawwindow function of canvas.
A few things will greatly help your adoption. First, comment your code more. Make it a priority to comment each function saying what it's used for, the inputs and outputs of the function, and what calculations it makes. Also, ensure that you are commenting the "Why" and not just the "What". I can figure out what your code does. I want to know why it does it. Here's an article that helped me with comments. http://particletree.com/features/succ...
You've already done an exceptional job with "self documenting" or "Easily read" code. Now the Why needs to be related. A rule of thumb on the projects I've worked on has been 80% code, 20% comments (+/- 5%). It seems like a lot, but when you get into explaining why you did things a certain way, or what exactly you need to fix in this area of the code, it gets very hard not to go over 25%.
I would not plan on having someone chosen to help out by the time you got on sourceforge. I would advertise that you are looking for people to help develop on it, and see who approaches you. Generally, people will contribute to projects they want to improve. If they use it often, and think it is essential to them, they will contribute to the project maintainence.
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