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What copyright license is the Q&A plugin offered under?

I have remixed your awesome plugin for my theme following the instructions on this great post to show a big "Ask a Question" button: http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/26902/some-adjustments-to-more-clearly-see-ask-a-question-in-q-a-1-2-1-new-discussion-button. Now I would like to like to redistribute this plugin as part of my theme with credit back to you of course, but there is no copyright information in your plugin, so I'm not sure what my redistribution rights are? Cheers! David Matson

Comments

  • peregrineperegrine MVP
    edited May 2014

    Why are you distributing plugins as part of your. theme this is the third time you asked regarding plugin license. The reasonable thing to do is make your theme compatible with the plugin. Assuming you are not making some substantial changes in the plugin that greatly enhances it, it seems to be not a great way to go.

    That is what everyone does, and that is what plugins are built in the first place. test the plugin with your theme and use it. kind of ridiculous in my opinion to go through every plugin in the add-ons (which this seems to invite other users to do).

    In that way when the plugin gets updated, perople aren't stuck with your out of date code on a dead end street and the don't have to mess with wondering if your theme already does the plugin aspects, and it makes it complex for the user who switches themes to have a plugin do one thing and the theme another.

    sounds like the wrong way to go.

    No offense, but it sounds like you are going against the whole flavor of vanilla.

    I may not provide the completed solution you might desire, but I do try to provide honest suggestions to help you solve your issue.

  • vrijvlindervrijvlinder Papillon-Sauvage MVP

    Yes it is nonsense to bundle plugins with a theme. You can always make it a requirement for the theme and add you css for the plugin inside your custom.css.

  • edited May 2014

    I'm making a theme that requires additional plugins and files in the /conf folder (as one post directed me to do in order to change the registration button text) and /SmartyPlugins folder (to change the search box text from "search" to "search forum"). This theme is for non-tech users to test the benefits of using forum technology to aid in parenting and household management (a forum that is just for family use). The theme is meant to integrate The Bug Genie (TBG) project manager with Vanilla into one seamless collaboration tool (so, FYI, in TBG the search box says, "search project manager and wiki).

    I'm trying to keep the required actions of setting up my remix of TBG and Vanilla to a drop-in replacement/addition of files to fresh Softaculous Vanilla and TBG installs. If it is a copyright violation to share any of the added Vanilla plugins, I will not do so, but if I can make people's lives easier who want my setup (without going through the trouble of configuring them) then, no harm, foul.

    I don't see how suggesting that my efforts to help others as, "...going against the whole flavor of vanilla," is actually going against the open source spirit of Vanilla? Perhaps you could wait to evaluate what I am trying to do, and how well it will help versus harm others, until after you have seen it?

    I asked my questions in the addon's section of each plugin's developer, because there did not seem to be a better way to directly find out from them their wishes regarding licensing.

  • vrijvlindervrijvlinder Papillon-Sauvage MVP
    edited May 2014

    You need to do more research about this. Ask @Linc what he thinks. If you fork a plugin that you edit and insert in your theme, that will be supported by you alone. The plugin maker makes no warranties to something that is modified.

    You need to fork those plugins on Github their license and copyright is there.

    you can change the search box value to anything you want. You don't need to go to the core or smarty to do so.

    parenting and household management (a forum that is just for family use)

    So which is it ?

    I'm trying to keep the required actions of setting up my remix of TBG and Vanilla to a drop-in replacement/addition of files to fresh Softaculous Vanilla and TBG installs.

    Not really sure what you are asking here. Personal use do anything you want. The rest you need to consult the authors.

  • edited May 2014

    @vrijvlinder said:
    Not really sure what you are asking here.

    I'm consulting the authors about licensing information as I could not find any of the plugins on GitHub. Do you have links to them?

  • vrijvlindervrijvlinder Papillon-Sauvage MVP
    edited May 2014

    they should have emails or website address inside the plugins.

    Those like Q&A are at github . Vanilla forums

    https://github.com/vanilla/vanilla

    https://github.com/vanilla/addons/tree/master/plugins

  • peregrineperegrine MVP
    edited May 2014

    @virtualdavid said:
    I don't see how suggesting that my efforts to help others as, "...going against the whole flavor of vanilla,"

    nor do I, which person said what you said in the context you mentioned.

    putting people into deadends and making it hard to change themes because existing plugin code is commingled with themes. especially something like q and a seems against the flavor if changing to another theme and wanting to use the same plugin foul things up. So maybe your re-mix is too ambiguous for us to understand.

    especially with these statements you previously made (perhaps you are being humble), but if you are not being humble you could be adding security flaws into your "remix" as well.

    "I'm so excited by this and so completely unqualified to do this "

    "My skill level is beginner, but I'm willing to hack!"

    I didn't say these things you did, and maybe I misinterpreted.

    that said: there is personal messaging where you can ask the author. If they don't expressly give you permission, consider it off-limits.

    I may not provide the completed solution you might desire, but I do try to provide honest suggestions to help you solve your issue.

  • LincLinc Detroit Admin

    Most things we release are under GNU GPL2. Apologies for not including the license.

  • Perhaps a license pulldown list (à la GitHub) could added to the addon contribute form, as no doubt the last thing on any contributors mind is insuring that they have a license protecting them (warranty) and giving users legal permission to use, remix, etc.?

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