Jake, On Monday 08 November 2004 14:23, Jake wrote:
On Monday 08 November 2004 17:41, Randall R Schulz wrote:
Section 6, paragraph 2:
"With respect to text or data entered into and stored by publicly-accessible site features such as message boards and bug trackers ("SourceForge.net Public Content"), the submitting user retains ownership of such SourceForge.net Public Content; with respect to publicly-available statistical content which is generated by the site to monitor and display project activity, such content is owned by OSTG. In each such case, the submitting user grants OSTG the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive and fully sublicensable right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such Content (in whole or part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed, all subject to the terms of any applicable approved license."
I'm not sure what your problem is with this Randall, given that most projects there are GPL. Shouldn't we be supporting sites like sourceforge? I've found it very useful many times.
First of all, it was about three years ago when I looked into this, so my memory is not very clear. I just remember that I was deterred from opening a SourceForge project for my work. In truth, I ended up deciding to keep the project entirely private, at least through its early life. Given its esoteric appeal, I'm not sure how much help I'd get from other programmers and it's entirely likely that it would not have been worth the complications of opening the source. It is also possible that SourceForge has changed its terms since that time, but since I did not keep a record of the terms in effect in 2001, I can't confirm that possibility. Certainly I support open source software development--where would any of us be without it? But I don't believe authors should relinquish control over their projects because they choose to avail themselves of SourceForge's resources. It was in part that possibility that caused me to decide against using it. I also have a vague recollection of reading reports from some SourceForge users who felt they'd been inappropriately denied the right to reclaim all the materials of their project. And for the record, I have a SourceForge login and occasionally have lent a (small) hand to projects hosted there.
Jake
Randall Schulz