I find an API that you aren't allowed to share client code for to be
pretty much useless. If I'm a part of any evaluation committees
evaluating software purchases, I will certainly make that opinion known
and justify why I think it's justified.
My institution is not currently a SerSol customer for any products with
APIs. (Although we are a customer of a product that eventually
theoretically will have an API). I think existing SerSol customers
should complain to SerSol about this.
Hey, I might as well write a blog post explaining why an API you aren't
allowed to share code for is practically useless...
http://bibwild.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/api_license_useless/
There you go.
Jonathan
Ross Singer wrote:
This is ironic given that their API is "standards based".
http://www.serialssolutions.com/ss_360_link_features.html
What, exactly, are vendors worried about when they hide their API behind an NDA?
Even more disturbing, why bother advertising your API at all if a
community can't be built to create innovative new ideas around it?
It's a wonder why libraries put up with any of this.
-Ross.
On Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 12:19 PM, Yitzchak Schaffer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Yitzchak Schaffer wrote:
Assuming that Serials Solutions will
allow some kind of sharing for these - they make clients sign a NDA
before they show you the docs. I'm waiting to hear their response; I
would be surprised if they wouldn't allow sharing of something like this
among clients.
D'oh: here's the lowdown from SerSol:
"The terms of the NDA do not allow for client signatories to share of
any information related to the proprietary nature of our API's with
other clients. However, if you would like to share them with us we can
make them available to other API clients upon request. I think down the
road we may be able to come up with creative ways to do this - perhaps
an API user's group, but for now we cannot allow sharing of this kind of
information outside of your institution."
--
Yitzchak Schaffer
Systems Librarian
Touro College Libraries
33 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010
Tel (212) 463-0400 x230
Fax (212) 627-3197
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
--
Jonathan Rochkind
Digital Services Software Engineer
The Sheridan Libraries
Johns Hopkins University
410.516.8886
rochkind (at) jhu.edu
