[Box Backup] License

[Pascal Lalonde]

On Sun, Feb 29, 2004 at 12:43:59PM +0000, Ben Summers wrote:
> 
> I think I'm tending towards a BSD license. Maybe with enlarging the 
> advertising clause to request a link to the web site?
> 
I really think you should stick with a standard BSD license. People
generally don't like being compelled in any way by a license. But you
could ask/suggest people before downloading your software that they put
a banner on their website, a mention in their product, stuff like that.
Of course not everyone will do it, but still. A lot of people know about
RSync even if you don't see "Sync'ed with RSync" on their website. Like
you said, just putting it on sourceforge might be something in itself.

I think I know what worries you:
Companies could start using BoxBackup and keep it a secret, so that
people don't know about the product, thus getting a limited exclusivity.
Then if you ask "could you put a link on your page please?", their only
anwser is: "Ha, it is *you* who decided to put it under that license".
It pisses me off too. These people are truly not helping opensource
software to evolve. They only profit from it. But, deep down, I still
don't think adding an advertisement clause would be the right thing to
do.

I, for sure, will do everything I can to convince my superiors to put
that link on the webpage (if I'm lucky, that might even be easy).

By the way, are you planning to do small banners, like those "Powered
by ..." or "Just VIM it!", that we could put on our websites ?
I was thinking, maybe something like "With BoxBackup, sleep peacefully".
English is not first language, and I have a hard time finding the exact
words for what I mean, and I fear this one can be interpreted as
"With BoxBackup, rest in peace" ;-) What I truly mean is:
"Dormez tranquille avec BoxBackup"
meaning that with BoxBackup you can go to sleep without worrying about
your data. Maybe "Sleep easy with BoxBackup" ?
I'd put it right under my "Powered by OpenBSD"...


Pascal Lalonde