Hey guys,

I'm looking for some help on how I should release one of my projects. My problem is that I want to release the source code because of suspicion that my programs a virus, but I may start charging for it in the future and if so would obviously not want to release the source code. Here are some things I'm considering:

- Release the code and license it, but build in something that checks online if I want to charge for it

- Release the API portion of the code and license it

 

Do you have any suggestions or experiences? Please share!

Thanks,

- Tips

Open source is obviously the best way to get trust for a program. It shows that you have nothing to hide and that anyone who may be suspicious is welcome to browse through it for themselves. Sadly though, even if you license it, people rarely respect and obey them. :(. But, after time, people will no longer ask for source or virus checks because your reputation will simply do.

 

What type of program is it, if I may ask? What type of community is it for?

I'm not sure if it's even worth licensing it, assuming that it's the calculator you mentioned in your other thread. Frankly, people can get the same quality applications from Tip.It and other fansites, so they wouldn't bother buying a program. If you really are dead-set on making money off of it, consider making it open source and putting an advertisement or two in it.

Advertisements FTW!

 

Wait... SELL OUT!

 

Wait...

 

:P.

Open source is obviously the best way to get trust for a program. It shows that you have nothing to hide and that anyone who may be suspicious is welcome to browse through it for themselves. Sadly though, even if you license it, people rarely respect and obey them. :(. But, after time, people will no longer ask for source or virus checks because your reputation will simply do.

 

What type of program is it, if I may ask? What type of community is it for?

I have experience moderating Bukkit (A minecraft mod) and I know that people definitively don't respect licenses at all :P The only reason why I don't want to opensource it is if I ever make it commercial. Tbh I doubt I will so I'll probably just open source and license it and hope for the best.

In fact, I'm nearly positive I won't ever sell my programs and I'm not really looking for money so open source is probably the best way to go.

 

 

I'm not sure if it's even worth licensing it, assuming that it's the calculator you mentioned in your other thread

 

It's not a calculator, It's a RS client. I used (and still use) SwiftKit, and great as it is, there are a lot of things that I personally don't like about it. I realize I could write a post to the devs on the forums but this also doubles as a fun side project because I haven't coded anything big in a while.

 

Anyway thanks for your input guys!

No-one will pay for an rs client and to try and charge for one would get Jagex lawyers on your back for trademark, copyright and all tht.

I agree with Sy. Just open source the thing, no one will pay for it. Put an ad or two in there and you'll make a bit.

No-one will pay for an rs client and to try and charge for one would get Jagex lawyers on your back for trademark, copyright and all tht.

I agree with Sy. Just open source the thing, no one will pay for it. Put an ad or two in there and you'll make a bit.

I was never going to sell the client, I was also considering other programs that I may sell (I've made a couple grand of Minecraft plugins)

I don't know what language your projects are in, but if compiled down they support dynamic linking then you can release a portion as open source and the other as a closed source compiled binary, which people can use but not modify or see the source for.

 

In a RuneScape example, the client may be open source and the APIs (looking up players, prices, monsters etc etc) could be offered closed source, but people can still use them and compile the same full project you do.