Re: [QGIS-Developer] Copyright in a plugin?or idea?
Ideas cannot be copyrighted and that's just fine - ideas are a dime a dozen; everyone has them all the time. But few people ever implement them. Which brings us to the crux of the issue - these were implemented so ideally should not have been duplicated? And not once but twice for a single author. This isn't something you want at the best of times, let alone on a resource constrained project like QGIS. I guess there may be many reasons, and I won't second guess the authors here, but it seems that the first thing that should be done before any new component/plugin is worked on is to see if there's already one out there, and if there is, even if it's dated, try and contact the author. Maybe it can be built on, maybe it's a flaky pile of junk, but it only takes 10 minutes and may save days/weeks of duplicating work. Maybe it's also worth asking on the dev list if anyone has done something to this effect previously (I see such posts fairly often here already...). (Full disclosure - I've recreated the wheel a few times for my own projects accidentally). Just my 2p, Cheers, Jonathan On 2019-10-04 08:01, Paolo Cavallini wrote: Hola Francisco, On 02/10/19 13:56, Fran Raga wrote: Recently I found out about this plugin https://github.com/qgist/toolbargenerator, which was presented in the FOSS4G 2019 Bucharest. What surprised me is that this plugin has EXACTLY the same functionality as mine, implemented for QGIS 3 https://github.com/All4Gis/CustomToolBar , which I developed without any funding. thanks for pointing this out. I understand your frustration, but I think these things are more or less unavoidable, and in the long term are not a serious issue - time will select the best solutions. from a different point of view, we would really like not to have duplication in our plugin list, as th; I regularly ask in this case to seriously evaluate the opportunity for a merge. Could this apply also here? Cheers, and thanks for sharing. ___ QGIS-Developer mailing list QGIS-Developer@lists.osgeo.org List info: https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer Unsubscribe: https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer
Re: [QGIS-Developer] Copyright in a plugin?or idea?
Hola Francisco, On 02/10/19 13:56, Fran Raga wrote: > > Recently I found out about this > plugin https://github.com/qgist/toolbargenerator, which was presented in > the FOSS4G 2019 Bucharest. What surprised me is that this plugin has > EXACTLY the same functionality as mine, implemented for QGIS > 3 https://github.com/All4Gis/CustomToolBar , which I developed without > any funding. thanks for pointing this out. I understand your frustration, but I think these things are more or less unavoidable, and in the long term are not a serious issue - time will select the best solutions. from a different point of view, we would really like not to have duplication in our plugin list, as th; I regularly ask in this case to seriously evaluate the opportunity for a merge. Could this apply also here? Cheers, and thanks for sharing. -- Paolo Cavallini - www.faunalia.eu QGIS.ORG Chair: http://planet.qgis.org/planet/user/28/tag/qgis%20board/ is confuses users, does not help creating better code with multiple interventions, and makes management more tiresome ___ QGIS-Developer mailing list QGIS-Developer@lists.osgeo.org List info: https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer Unsubscribe: https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer
Re: [QGIS-Developer] Copyright in a plugin?or idea?
Completely in agreement with you. Maybe it's my way of seeing things, I always like to put the source, the idea, or code that I have taken from other sites. For example the styles in the Load Qss plugin is the reference to FreeCad and for example in other projects the classes or code taken from others is in the header a reference. I always leave a reference to the "original" or so I think. https://github.com/All4Gis/QGISFMV/blob/master/code/geo/mgrs.py It is clear that we all take ideas from some place or if something occurs to us then we implement it and say that we have been the "first". >> but the original idea is mine About this I mean that it was the first "public" option, sure that many people had already done it and had it, but not public. The idea is not mine, is QT if it has to be someone's. That's free software, but it's annoying when you spend time (without charging as many people and passion for free software and QGIS) or you come up with something new and someone later does the same thing and not even mention you, if I think out of respect for your work. It's frustrating. I guess it's just things that happen and it's not the first time it's happened or the last time. Greetings *Francisco Raga** | *Full-Stack Open Source GIS Developer Móvil: (+34) 654275432* | *e-Mail: franka1...@gmail.com *| *skype: francisco_raga Github: https://goo.gl/ydNTjY *| *Linkedin: https://goo.gl/TCfj8S *| *Site: https://goo.gl/qiypDj "La vida real no tiene ningún mapa.." Ivy Compton Burnett El mié., 2 oct. 2019 a las 14:21, Nathan Woodrow () escribió: > Hey, > > Ideas are a tricky one. There is no need to give someone else credit for > an idea if you don't want to, even if you feel you had it first. It's a > nice thing to do but not required by any means. You can copyright your > code but that doesn't stop someone reimplementing your idea in a different > way, it's why we have 100 different browsers these days. This is just how > the software world works generally. We take ideas from others and > evolve them and you can draw inspiration from many places. If you want to > keep an idea for you own you need a patent but good luck :) > > For an example, I added and worked on the style dock (also for free ;) ) > along with others for a very long time, one of my largest QGIS projects in > core, however at the time I wasn't aware the same thing was in ArcGIS Pro > before me, I simply didn't know. I took inspiration from other tools like > CartoDB and Mapbox at the time. Same with ideas I have had while using > Excel etc (although I did give credit to them in my post about that feature) > > >> but the original idea is mine > > I would be careful going down this route IMO. Mainly because I did it > back in 1.6 or so but never open-sourced it because my code sucked back > then. Customizing the QGIS UI has always been on my, and others, minds on > the project, and we work together to make it better. Sure some people have > ideas and we get to take credit they are ours but in the end, we don't work > in a vacuum and we contribute to each other and the project in different > ways. Just because someone writes the code doesn't mean they own the idea > and no one else can do it. I have let many other devs, mainly Nyall when I > bug him enough, implement ideas I have had and don't ask for credit, most > of the time he does other times not. I'm not in this for fame. > > So yes generally you should credit if you can because it's nice thing to > do but just be careful of cashing the "I did this for free and this idea > was mine first how dare you" because, in the end, it will end in > frustration. A lot of us work for free on QGIS, many many hours, many > many late nights. The best thing you can do is reach out and try and join > forces if you can, which it seems they are keen on. > > For context: I made Roam a tablet version of QGIS for Windows (the first > from what I know), and now there is QField, and Input both using the same > kind of ideas (using the QGIS libs in a standalone project). Making a > tablet version of QGIS wasn't my idea I was just the first to make a > installable standalone version and pushed it out. Like a lot of things in > life, it's about the advertisement around the things you make if you want > people to see you as the main go for the idea. > > - Nathan > > On Wed, Oct 2, 2019 at 9:57 PM Fran Raga wrote: > >> Hi, all >> >> >> Recently I found out about this plugin >> https://github.com/qgist/toolbargenerator, which was presented in the >> FOSS4G 2019 Bucharest. What surprised me is that this plugin has EXACTLY >> the same functionality as mine, implemented for QGIS 3 >> https://github.com/All4Gis/CustomToolBar , which I developed without any >> funding. >> >> Not only it does the same but also it has the same limitations as mine >> (like i18n problems). >> >> >> The main difference lies on the fact that it stores the tools depending >> on the user profile (which in my plugin
Re: [QGIS-Developer] Copyright in a plugin?or idea?
Hey, Ideas are a tricky one. There is no need to give someone else credit for an idea if you don't want to, even if you feel you had it first. It's a nice thing to do but not required by any means. You can copyright your code but that doesn't stop someone reimplementing your idea in a different way, it's why we have 100 different browsers these days. This is just how the software world works generally. We take ideas from others and evolve them and you can draw inspiration from many places. If you want to keep an idea for you own you need a patent but good luck :) For an example, I added and worked on the style dock (also for free ;) ) along with others for a very long time, one of my largest QGIS projects in core, however at the time I wasn't aware the same thing was in ArcGIS Pro before me, I simply didn't know. I took inspiration from other tools like CartoDB and Mapbox at the time. Same with ideas I have had while using Excel etc (although I did give credit to them in my post about that feature) >> but the original idea is mine I would be careful going down this route IMO. Mainly because I did it back in 1.6 or so but never open-sourced it because my code sucked back then. Customizing the QGIS UI has always been on my, and others, minds on the project, and we work together to make it better. Sure some people have ideas and we get to take credit they are ours but in the end, we don't work in a vacuum and we contribute to each other and the project in different ways. Just because someone writes the code doesn't mean they own the idea and no one else can do it. I have let many other devs, mainly Nyall when I bug him enough, implement ideas I have had and don't ask for credit, most of the time he does other times not. I'm not in this for fame. So yes generally you should credit if you can because it's nice thing to do but just be careful of cashing the "I did this for free and this idea was mine first how dare you" because, in the end, it will end in frustration. A lot of us work for free on QGIS, many many hours, many many late nights. The best thing you can do is reach out and try and join forces if you can, which it seems they are keen on. For context: I made Roam a tablet version of QGIS for Windows (the first from what I know), and now there is QField, and Input both using the same kind of ideas (using the QGIS libs in a standalone project). Making a tablet version of QGIS wasn't my idea I was just the first to make a installable standalone version and pushed it out. Like a lot of things in life, it's about the advertisement around the things you make if you want people to see you as the main go for the idea. - Nathan On Wed, Oct 2, 2019 at 9:57 PM Fran Raga wrote: > Hi, all > > > Recently I found out about this plugin > https://github.com/qgist/toolbargenerator, which was presented in the > FOSS4G 2019 Bucharest. What surprised me is that this plugin has EXACTLY > the same functionality as mine, implemented for QGIS 3 > https://github.com/All4Gis/CustomToolBar , which I developed without any > funding. > > Not only it does the same but also it has the same limitations as mine > (like i18n problems). > > > The main difference lies on the fact that it stores the tools depending on > the user profile (which in my plugin implies modifying 2 -and only 2- > lines). > > > I don’t mind if the code is better written or not, but the original idea > is mine (moreover, it is completely functional in QGIS3) and I developed it > four years ago. > > > Four years ago I experienced the same situation with “QGIS themes”, which > I developed and then, a core developer (Nathan) implemented a plugin and > integrated it in the QGIS core. I wrote to him and he changed his entry > indicating that this idea already existed ( > https://nathanw.net/2015/08/13/qgis-ui-themes-plugin/). I found it > satisfactory, because this functionality had been already developed by > another developer. > > > I think that who had the original idea should be taken into account. We > are in an Open Source world, where I sometimes have the impression that > “anything goes”. However, if an idea already exists, the original author > should be taken into account or at least, the original author should be > cited in a visible place. > > > Here you can find my discussion with the other author: > https://github.com/qgist/toolbargenerator/issues/7 > > > I think that these situations discourage people to collaborate in QGIS and > in the open source, in general, if the original idea and the developer work > are not valued. > > > regards > > *Francisco Raga** | *Full-Stack Open Source GIS Developer > > Móvil: (+34) 654275432* | *e-Mail: franka1...@gmail.com *| *skype: > francisco_raga > Github: https://goo.gl/ydNTjY *| *Linkedin: https://goo.gl/TCfj8S *| *Site: > https://goo.gl/qiypDj > > "La vida real no tiene ningún mapa.." Ivy Compton Burnett > ___ > QGIS-Developer mailing list >
[QGIS-Developer] Copyright in a plugin?or idea?
Hi, all Recently I found out about this plugin https://github.com/qgist/toolbargenerator, which was presented in the FOSS4G 2019 Bucharest. What surprised me is that this plugin has EXACTLY the same functionality as mine, implemented for QGIS 3 https://github.com/All4Gis/CustomToolBar , which I developed without any funding. Not only it does the same but also it has the same limitations as mine (like i18n problems). The main difference lies on the fact that it stores the tools depending on the user profile (which in my plugin implies modifying 2 -and only 2- lines). I don’t mind if the code is better written or not, but the original idea is mine (moreover, it is completely functional in QGIS3) and I developed it four years ago. Four years ago I experienced the same situation with “QGIS themes”, which I developed and then, a core developer (Nathan) implemented a plugin and integrated it in the QGIS core. I wrote to him and he changed his entry indicating that this idea already existed ( https://nathanw.net/2015/08/13/qgis-ui-themes-plugin/). I found it satisfactory, because this functionality had been already developed by another developer. I think that who had the original idea should be taken into account. We are in an Open Source world, where I sometimes have the impression that “anything goes”. However, if an idea already exists, the original author should be taken into account or at least, the original author should be cited in a visible place. Here you can find my discussion with the other author: https://github.com/qgist/toolbargenerator/issues/7 I think that these situations discourage people to collaborate in QGIS and in the open source, in general, if the original idea and the developer work are not valued. regards *Francisco Raga** | *Full-Stack Open Source GIS Developer Móvil: (+34) 654275432* | *e-Mail: franka1...@gmail.com *| *skype: francisco_raga Github: https://goo.gl/ydNTjY *| *Linkedin: https://goo.gl/TCfj8S *| *Site: https://goo.gl/qiypDj "La vida real no tiene ningún mapa.." Ivy Compton Burnett ___ QGIS-Developer mailing list QGIS-Developer@lists.osgeo.org List info: https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer Unsubscribe: https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer
