Help - My Site is Destroy

[Kindred]

Exactly...

LEGALLY, they can remove the copyright, as of 2.0 final.
MORALLY, it is "wrong"

K@, the "rule" is, first of all, not hard and fast.  It's something that the team decided on.
second or all, it is a matter of respect and attribution...   if an admin removes the copyright then that admin is clearly indicating that the site does not need any support from the SMF Community.


Yup, they could put it back for the time it takes us to help them and then remove it again...  if they want to go through all that, then that's fine... it's not our job to keep track of them... but the next time, or the next time after that... etc...   they might just realize that they actually need help and its better all around to leave it in place.

Arantor...   We could do that, but again, it's more trouble than we're really willing to go to ATM. If it became a regular issue with a specific user, that might be the result.

[kat]

I'll be honest and say that I wouldn't remove the copyright, myself, even though I can. Simply because of the fact that I believe in the old "Credit where it's due" thing.

Others may have different morals, though. When our users install SMF, is there a message, explaining about the copyright and the implications of removing it?

If there isn't, maybe we ought to change that...?

[Kindred]

SMF is fully open source, under the BSD license. With this new license, distribution from any source outside of simplemachines.org is allowed, but is outside of our control. If you are having problems with such a distribution, please download the official release from our site before asking for support. Additionally, support will be provided to sites with a valid copyright displayed. Although you, under the BSD license, have permission to remove or alter the copyright, the staff here reserves the right to not provide support to sites which have removed or altered the copyright.

from the copyright statement page....

[kat]

Luvverly!

Maybe "Reserves the right to not" ought to be changed to "Will not"?

Still, at least something's there, ay?

Ta!

[lianpatogh]

Works fine, for me.

It says "Ma Na avaLiniM Va Na BehtariN Ma MoftaKhariM k Ba ShoMa Va Braye ShoMaeiM" at the bottom.

I'll Back Up it Bro/sis

and im really sorry for remove copyright , and i was back up SMF :



and i said again, im really sorry

[Kindred]

that is not the smf copyright.

SMF 2.0.4 | SMF © 2011, Simple Machines

[Storman™]

....... and a credit to ADK portal might be in order as well...

Adk Portal 2.1.1 © SMF personal

[alexnder]

just if u want me to get his website ip 

sure

[Kindred]

good point, storman.

alexnder,

Although SMF does allow for the removal or alteration of the SMF copyright, doing so means that you won't get support here. However...   most mods REQUIRE their copyright to be maintained, visible and unaltered.
If you remove or change those, you are actually violating their license - you must restore it or remove the mod immediately.

[lianpatogh]

good point, storman.

alexnder,

Although SMF does allow for the removal or alteration of the SMF copyright, doing so means that you won't get support here. However...   most mods REQUIRE their copyright to be maintained, visible and unaltered.
If you remove or change those, you are actually violating their license - you must restore it or remove the mod immediately.

Brothers , Now iS Better?

[Road Rash Jr.]

Picky, picky, you give people the right to no-brand on their own, and if they do you deny them support because YOU individually decide they are somehow immoral for exercising the right you have given them? That is two faced and immoral.

[Arantor]

Picky, picky, you give people the right to no-brand on their own, and if they do you deny them support because YOU individually decide they are somehow immoral for exercising the right you have given them? That is two faced and immoral.

Actually, that's not how it works. Go read the BSD licence and come back and tell me what level of support users are *entitled* to. Answer: none. Users of the software are not legally entitled to any kind of support of any kind. The fact people offer support at all is that their discretion, and they have said they reserve the right to refuse it if they wish. It's not two faced, it's called having a backbone and standing up for your morals - since I would do exactly the same.

[ARG01]

Picky, picky, you give people the right to no-brand on their own, and if they do you deny them support because YOU individually decide they are somehow immoral for exercising the right you have given them? That is two faced and immoral.

IMO, if one is willing to use the software but remove any credit to the designer/s then support should be an option, not an obligation. Adding ones own credits is understandable, removing the designers credit while still expecting support is pathetic.

When you start designing and people take credit for your hard work, feel free to come back and let us know how you feel about that. 

[Kindred]

exactly.

They are free to remove the copyright.
By doing so, they indicate that they have no need for SMF to support them.

We don't charge for the product
We don't charge for the support
We have clearly stated that, by removing or altering the visible copyright, THEY have chosen to potentially give up SMF's support.

How is that immoral or two-faced?

Also, I decided nothing "individually" for the team. We discussed it and settled on that decision as a team.
Of course, anyone is welcome to provide support, if they want to...   We (the team) just "reserve the right" to refuse to do so under certain conditions.


Actually...  as Arantor points out... we don't HAVE to provide support to anyone. The fact that we do so is a measure of our dedication to the project and the software.

[Suki]

The product and support for that product are two separate entities, the license only covers the product, the license never states anything about services for that product.

The fact that SMF team has decided to apply certain rules within this site has no interference with the product. If the team suddenly decides to only offer support for those who live in Mars, it wouldn't change a thing in the software, the software would still be free under the current license.

The actual support for the product isn't licensed (nor restricted), that means everyone can offer support for the product and everyone can apply as many rules as they see fit.

[Road Rash Jr.]

What ever spin you wish to put on justifying your twisted conduct is of course your right. It has nothing to do with legality or implied responsibility for support or lack there of. Everyone's response to support or help someone using the software is done on a volunteer basis. To deny that support on any level for exercising an option that is given them is two-faced and immoral. 

[Arantor]

What ever spin you wish to put on justifying your twisted conduct is of course your right. It has nothing to do with legality or implied responsibility for support or lack there of. Everyone's response to support or help someone using the software is done on a volunteer basis. To deny that support on any level for exercising an option that is given them is two-faced and immoral. 

I'm glad to see that your opinion of me hasn't changed much.

[Suki]

The option given to people doesn't include support, period.

The team restrictions only applies here, within this site and perhaps its extended to team members own sites but thats it.

I don't understand how people gets drowned on a glass of water, again, support isn't restricted to this site or to team members only.

[Kindred]

RR... cool your jets.
There is no "spin" at all.
We clearly make a statement regarding the copyright. So, how is it two-faced, in any way shape or form?
as for "immoral", oh please.... there are no morals or immorals involved. No one is "promised" support.

Whether you feel it is"right" or "wrong" is irelevent anyways, because you don't provide support in the first place... you just whine about us.  Seriously, if you have so many issues with the way SMF runs things, then why even bother using our software?

   
Suki, actually, there are no restrictions even here...

the team agreed... however, no one is going to get in trouble if they offer support to someone who removed the copyright.  The fact that everyone on the team (and many of the community helprs) all seem to agree with the call only makes it that much more clear that it is a valid caveat.

As for RR, Suki... don't worry about it. He likes to find anything he can try to latch on to to complain about the team's behavior (especially anything which he thinks makes me look bad)

[Suki]

I just wanted to declare how easily people gets stuck on tiny holes when there is a huge open door next to it, it is really hilarious.

That and the fact that the license that governs the product has no power within any service that might derivate from said product. It seems people don't really understand that.

As for the "morals", their site, their rules, yours, mine and anyone external morals means nothing and holds no value no matter how harder you complain. Don't like it? theres the door (a big and wide open door). Plain and simple.