[Shootout-list] License

[Brandon J. Van Every]

Brent Fulgham wrote:
>
> Doug's work was done in a "Public Domain" model --
> anyone could use it for anything.
>
> I'm more inclined to use an MIT license, or perhaps
> one of those "Creative Commons" licenses.  What would
> the rest of you prefer?

MIT or BSD license.  I don't see any reason to restrict the use of the
code, it's not terribly valuable code.  The main value of the project is
running the benchmarks and keeping the code well maintained, not what
the code does per se.

A CC license without any coding restrictions is just a way of assuring
someone gets credit for their work.  I don't see a point in that, for
the Shootout.  If someone feels differently about that, if they really
want to see their name in lights, I'd suggest that they should check
their ego at the door.  There are better projects to pursue if personal
glory is one's goal.  Like, working on one's own solo project, for
instance, so that one can hog all the credit.  I don't think anyone in
open source land should be burdened with properly accrediting anyone for
Shootout code.  I think the fewer barriers there are to getting people
to submit, run, and revise test cases, the better.

I guess someone might try to use a CC or Artistic or Zlib-style license
to control the distribution and modification of the tests themselves.
Thus, distinguishing 'the standard version' from any proliferating
versions.  I don't see much point in this, however.  The 'standard
version' is inevitably going to be whatever website is running all the
tests, keeping them updated, keeping CVS going, and driving the most
traffic to the site.  If someone else makes a competing website with
exactly the same benchmark, so what?  I don't see how anyone loses.
Maybe they've got more test machines at their disposal, for different
platforms we're not dealing with.  Maybe they come up with better
scripts for running on a bunch of machines or some such, and are more
effective at it.

Culturally, you will also be more commercial-friendly with a MIT or BSD
license.  Meaningful for securing corporate champions at some later
date.  Companies really don't want to hear about how you're offering
them a bunch of potental legal traps.

Between MIT and BSD, I would suggest MIT.  I don't see why the Shootout
should prohibit credit and notoriety for itself.  I think being popular
and well-known is a goal.  The current license is BSD, according to the
Alioth page.  I was not able to find a license statement in the CVS
repository, however.


Cheers,                     www.indiegamedesign.com
Brandon Van Every           Seattle, WA

"The pioneer is the one with the arrows in his back."
                          - anonymous entrepreneur