Is it just me?

Tipperton · Post by **Tipperton** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:50 pm

Do you plan to release the source code?

I see this frequently in these and other forums...

I don't know about anyone else but to me this is just plain rude.

If the author wants to make the code available he/she will.

Brice Manuel · Post by **Brice Manuel** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:07 am

Tipperton wrote:
Do you plan to release the source code?
I see this frequently in these and other forums...

I don't know about anyone else but to me this is just plain rude.

If the author wants to make the code available he/she will.

I agree, and I do think it is rude.

A while back, I was making a 2D GUI system to use in my PB games. I was offering to make it free to others to use in lib format, but I was flamed, insulted and made fun of for not wanting to make it available in source format. So I decided to keep it entirely for my own use.

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:10 am

Yeah, no-one wants to release source code and have it critisized because it's not structured right.

DoubleDutch · Post by **DoubleDutch** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 1:44 am

I released a "free" program for Linux users and got flamed for releasing it!

It seems that 'free' to them means releasing the source code as well!

I'm still wondering what word they use for actually 'free' (as in no cost)...

Kaeru Gaman · Post by **Kaeru Gaman** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 2:11 am

Do you plan to release the source code?

in my eyes it's a harmless question, not rude or insulting.

of course, what Brice is reporting was unfriendly, but i say, just ignore such.

maybe some linux users think "free" means "open source", then just tell them what GPL means,
charge them for the code and force them to open their code, too, if they use yours.

I also prefer source rather than a Lib, normally I use no UserLibs at all,
but I never would insult somebody if he doesn't want to share the source.
if he likes to share ideas, to tell me how he did it,
I'll welcome that and figure the coding out on my own.
and if not, well, than I'll have to find my own solution.

I often read code of other programmers, but always it's hard to get the point,
to realize what he does where how...
normally I can only get into it if i really need this solution.
so what would be the use for anyone with code of mine,
if they are not really seeking a solution for exactly this problem?
are they collecting tons of sources just to have them?

I released a lot of different code-snippets and I found out,
that a lot of them were hardly recognized at all.
not that they were useless codes, but most people were working on other problems at that time.
quite often I linked them to question-topics some months later,
and they were welcomed like Columbus' egg....

so, if somebody asks for your source, give it if you want or keep it, it's up to you.
if someone flames you for keeping the code, ignore them.

PB · Post by PB » Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:55 am

I agree that asking for the source is rude. Seems everybody these days wants
everything for free. If an app isn't released as free (as in open source via the
GPL or whatever) then nobody has the right to ask for the source. Sure, they
can ask, but yes, I do consider it rude. Knowledge isn't free, and they shouldn't
expect it to be. How can I earn a living from software if I give away the code?
It's not on. I think it's an age gap that does it -- I'm 37 and grew up when PCs
were "new" and nobody gave away their sources because it made them rich.
Kids these days just want it all without learning anything for themselves. :roll:

Flype · Post by **Flype** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 4:30 am

Maybe because a coder often wants to look through/inside an application
more than look the application itself. sort of professional deformation.

It's good to recall that is not polite to ask for the source.

Heathen · Post by **Heathen** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 8:03 am

I don't think its rude at all. It's a perfectly valid question. It would be different they pushed and pushed and pushed, but if they ask once, I see no problem with it.

JCV · Post by **JCV** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 10:09 am

Do you plan to release the source code?

I dont think its rude to ask that question. Just answer yes/no/maybe and thats all. It he still insist and insult you then thats what I can rude.

srod · Post by **srod** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:04 am

What makes me laugh (kind of twisting the subject a little) is the over-riding assumption amongst some fraternities that all software has to be free and open source and that all 'closed' software is inherently bad and 'unsporting'!

Yea, sure it's great when someone releases their code for the masses to peruse and learn from and, I admit, that when in need of a utility or two I do scour the usual sources of freeware etc. Hell, I'm not going to turn down a free program if offered, although I always make a contribution if the said program then proves to be as good as anything I can write (which is just about everything I download!

) Hell, I've spent £000's on Microsoft software over the years and no one is ever going to convince me that I should switch from MS Office to Open Office (for example), just because it is free and 'nearly' compatible with MS Office. I love MS Office and wouldn't switch it for anything (except a Porsche 911 perhaps!

)

But to say that all software should be free is just bonkers! Why shouldn't I (or anyone else) make a few pennies on some project which has taken months and months to produce? Should I expect Gnozal to release all of his libraries free of charge? No wait, he already does... Okay bad example (damn you Gnozal!

) Seriously, those that can afford to release all of their software for free are to be commended, but I just object to those who possess an underlying expectation that we should all release our software for free -no questions asked!

It's a fact that I can only afford to indulge my passion for Purebasic and programming in general if such endeavours, to some extent, earn their keep. If I were a sprightly teenager with no bills to pay then everything would, I'm sure, take on a different complexion and I could afford to release everything that I produce for free. But as a not-so-sprightly 104 year old, with as much programming fire in my belly as any 14 year old, I find that the 'open source and free' philosophy would confine my programming to a bit-part hobby in which I never progressed further than:

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DoubleDutch · Post by **DoubleDutch** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:15 am

Nice comment, I totally agree!

What amazes me was the fact that the people who expected the source code were not even programmers!

gnozal · Post by **gnozal** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:28 am

srod wrote:What makes me laugh (kind of twisting the subject a little) is the over-riding assumption amongst some fraternities that all software has to be free and open source and that all 'closed' software is inherently bad and 'unsporting'!

I totally agree.

srod wrote:Should I expect Gnozal to release all of his libraries free of charge? No wait, he already does... Seriously, those that can afford to release all of their software for free are to be commended ...

It's only a hobby for me, so I can release my stuff as freeware, because

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srod · Post by **srod** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:29 am

netmaestro · Post by **netmaestro** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:34 am

There are two scenarios to look at here imho. In the first, a programmer posts an app or game that is pretty cool but doesn't really break new ground on the forum as source can be found here or on PureArea that does what it does. In this case, posting a few links is a helpful alternative to source. The second scenario crops up when a programmer posts a program and a no comparable source exists and most forum users don't understand how it was achieved. It is this second case that'll generate the most buzz and the inevitable clamoring for sourcecode. I'm with Heathen, one request shouldn't be considered rude. In many cases the author is happy to share and if you didn't ask you wouldn't have received. But if someone else has already asked and been turned down, or you've asked and been rebuffed, it's quite rude and immature to keep at it. I think libraries are a whole different consideration though. In this case you're asking someone to make your library part of the programs he will produce in the future, bugs, leaks and all. So it's a lot less rude to ask for source for libraries than it would be for apps or games.

merihevonen · Post by **merihevonen** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:33 pm

DoubleDutch wrote:I released a "free" program for Linux users and got flamed for releasing it!

It seems that 'free' to them means releasing the source code as well!

I'm still wondering what word they use for actually 'free' (as in no cost)...

I TOTALLY AGREE.
If you are using Linux, it's so hard to earn some $$$ if you release closed-source software, because then someone just goes to find an open-source one letting you swallow the darkness in your shadow.

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