> -----Original Message----- > From: Glen Mazza [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Please do *not* share anything you find with the > team--We don't need any you-stole-our-code headaches > from the commercial implementations. >
Ok, I won't No offense, but I think you mistake my intentions here, Glen. If not, then of course I appreciate your concern... Fact is, I have up to now blindly refused to even have a glance at competing products, probably just because I share these very same concerns. To be honest: I was quite surprised to receive an answer from s.o. at RenderX (--still wondering which of the two is more true: either his employers have no idea what he's doing, or he doesn't care whether they know... or he is his own employer trying to lure me into doing something illegal --in which case he'll fail - hey, come to think of it, does RX need money or what? =D ) > > Be careful, Andreas--RenderX or AntennaHouse code > should not be in FOP I *will* be careful. I agree 100% with this, but I don't agree at all with your stating that > --nor should FOP developers even > be looking at its internals. Matter of simple > integrity. I think this is a bit over the top. Suppose that tomorrow, someone gets fired at RX or AH, and this ex-employee decides to share some ideas with us. Are we really going to tell him to take a hike?? Just because of simple integrity? (Suppose that, before we find out, he has already submitted a few patches that have been applied. Would we undo all of these patches, because of 'simple integrity'?) Please, don't get me wrong. I definitely appreciate the nobility of your motives here, and I too would certainly enjoy the satisfaction of having it done the honest way, whatever that means. > Stay away from their work--it's not worth > it!!! At worst, it's illegal, at best you're taking > away the reward--from everyone!--of coming up with a > comparable implementation. It's --should I add: of course ?- not the intention to copy anything, just gather some ideas. > > I don't want FOP tarnished with 0.0000001% of RenderX > or AntennaHouse code (or inspired code). My point exactly: how are we going to make sure of that if we're not even meant to look at their internals? (Who knows, maybe it's 0.000047% already... Besides that, you never get to see the source from commercial implementations --source in the strict sense -, unless you're working there or know your bytecode by heart ;) ) > If we can't provide a comparable implementation, then let us lose > honorably. If we can, we can then enjoy the > satisfaction of having done it the honest way, not by > copying work! > Are you by any chance familiar with (--Picasso's, I think...): "Bad artists copy, good artists --steal." Look at the evolution of the human species, and ask yourself: what would have happened if every generation had to start from scratch? What I mean is: you won't find me copying anything! (To be honest, I'm a little offended by the mere supposition that I might be inclined to do that... ) Again, I *do* appreciate your concerns for the project as a whole, but I strongly doubt whether these should be a reason to remain blind to other peoples' approaches. Cheers, Andreas
