Why hardware developers dont collaborate

[plasmab]

Originally Posted by Hewitson

They don't collaborate because the Amiga scene has always been full of tight assed dickheads unwilling to open source their hardware/software.

Have to say I find this insulting and wrong.

Opening vs closed us nothing to do with collaboration. Closed source software is one thing but closed hardware I can understand because it’s a huge investment to develop hardware.

[modrobert]

Sometimes the truth stings a bit, but it's always for the best in the long run.

[jotd]

competition is good (up to some point): every dev/team tries to do the best product. And earning $$$ doesn't seem to matter here: everyone has a day job.

And different approaches are better than uniformized. Also up to some point.

Of course if people lived in the same town or so, not collaborating or at least seeing each other would be stupid, but those teams/people are scattered worldwide, not the same thing AT ALL.

[Jope]

Sometimes stuff gets rewritten based on ideas taken from open source projects, sometimes the open source project gets a re-licensed closed fork (with the agreement of the author(s) naturally)..

Nevertheless, the open source project is still there and anyone can pick up from where it left.

[plasmab]

I live 2 miles from @daedalus. I run past his house whenever I exercise. We don’t meet up much or collaborate because we both have kids/families and our own ideas. Nice guy.

[plasmab]

Originally Posted by Jope

Sometimes stuff gets rewritten based on ideas taken from open source projects, sometimes the open source project gets a re-licensed closed fork (with the agreement of the author(s) naturally)..

Nevertheless, the open source project is still there and anyone can pick up from where it left.

And sometimes without our permission. Which is why although I’ll give out gerbers, pdfs, and jeds so anyone can build my stuff the actual sources will be closed from now on.

[Jope]

Yep, there's always someone. It makes me sad.

[modrobert]

Change is on the horizon, I've been a supporter of https://opencores.org/ for many years and lately the https://fossi-foundation.org/ looks promising. Great initiatives.

[plasmab]

Opencores is pretty much dead and had been for a few years. The site barely stays up and most of the cores are now on github.

In order for change happen we need to be able to enforce copyright and github refused to take down one copy of my code with all the copyrights removed/changed.

No more open source.

[modrobert]

I really don't like license discussions, but if you go GPL there is no turning back (according to a friend with a lot longer beard than me).

[plasmab]

I’ve issued my code with a license. I am the sole copyright holder. I can choose a different licence for the next product.

I can’t close the boards I’ve already released and have no intention of doing so.

[plasmab]

What I can’t do is take fixes other people make to my open versions and put them in the closed source. But the open versions are a long way behind now.

[plasmab]

Also.. if I can’t get a license enforcement on my own code I wish anyone trying to enforce against me luck. No more GPL from me. You had your chance Amiga.

[FREEMILK]

OMG here we go again
, Open and closed source both have their place .
ranting about this is just a waste and stirring the pot .
allot or people are doing great things in their hobby time , all this pissing is just making people question why they bother .

[plasmab]

Huh? The thread was to properly address things people kept raising with me. In particular amiga2000. See his rants in another thread.

I didn’t particularly like being called a dickhead for not opening sources anymore. That’s all.

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by plasmab

I didn’t particularly like being called a dickhead for not opening sources anymore.

And rightfully so. The nerve some people have to tell other people what to do with the stuff they made

When someone makes something it belongs to them, period.

[modrobert]

Originally Posted by plasmab

I didn’t particularly like being called a dickhead for not opening sources anymore. That’s all.

This thread topic reads 'Why hardware developers dont collaborate', and in that context, this is what Hewitson wrote.

Originally Posted by Hewitson

They don't collaborate because the Amiga scene has always been full of tight assed dickheads unwilling to open source their hardware/software.

Unless I'm mistaken, this was not about you plasmab, especially since you have shared source code already which many (including me) are grateful for.

This was about the old tradition in the Amiga community of keeping things closed source and for profit, also vigorously fighting copyrights and trademarks relating to Amiga such as kickstart ROMs, workbench floppies, AmigaOS in general, and other things which should have been open sourced long ago instead of leaked.

Originally Posted by Thorham

When someone makes something it belongs to them, period.

Well, if you use GPL for a while, and other developers actually help with the project by adding code and fixes which you accept, then is it really yours to do as you please with?

[plasmab]

Originally Posted by modrobert

This thread topic reads 'Why hardware developers dont collaborate', and in that context, this is what Hewitson wrote.


Unless I'm mistaken, this was not about you plasmab, especially since you have shared source code already which many (including me) are grateful for.

Well it was a very careless comment then. I took it to mean me because the thread was about my reasons for not collaborating.

Well, if you use GPL for a while, and other developers actually help with the project by adding code and fixes which you accept, then is it really yours to do as you please with?

Nobody has contributed anything more than spelling mistakes to my cpu based projects. The TF328 has others code in here but it’s staying open anyways and nothing is based on it.

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by modrobert

Well, if you use GPL for a while, and other developers actually help with the project by adding code and fixes which you accept, then is it really yours to do as you please with?

No, but it certainly started out as yours do with as you see fit, and at that point no one has any right to complain about what you do with it. Obviously when you open source something and start accepting contributions this changes (but you've chosen this path, of course).

[Hewitson]

plasmab, my comment was in no way directed at you, I respect you and everything you have contributed to the Amiga community and I am sorry for the misunderstanding.