Finding Compilations that contain an AddOn

[SeiferTim]

So, I still don't really 'get' the whole concept of Compilations - it seems like a 'cheat' to me to just re-upload a bunch of other people's stuff and call it your own, but maybe that's just me....

Regardless, is there anyway to determine if any Compilations contain a specific AddOn, and which ones? Mainly, I would like to know if anyone has included my AddOn in a Compilation, and if so, how many people have downloaded that Compilation...

It would be nice if there was a simple way to see a link from a Compilation to the AddOns that are contained within, but I wouldn't want to look at every Compliation to find the ones that have my AddOn...

[contramundi]

hmmm, it would indeed be a cheat if not a single credit is given to the original addon authors, but a compilation is only a way of sharing your favorite bunch of addons with the rest of the WOW community.

i think it will be really, really hard to figure out which compilations exactly have your addon in use. I think the only true way of knowing who actually is using your addon is by doing something like carbonite is doing, paid license, and even that one isn't all to secure since i could easily send the updated and ingame registered version to all of my friends / guildies / etc.

but anyways, those compilations can also been seen as some sort of temporary upload, since game gets updated, and addons even so, and people are bound to look for an updated version and come back to your door when needed.

Most great addons are eventually found by people installing a pre-made compilation, and they are also the ones that will get great mouth-to-mouth advertising from these people.

"hey dude, you should check out x mod, it makes your wow-experience even better"

the same will go exactly for your Addon. I mean if its included in a compilation it rocks

when people distribute it as a standalone addon as if it's there own, that sux

so to make a very long story come together in once sentence (and please don't take it wrong): i can't really figure out your problem with people using your addon in a compilation? but hey, maybe thats just me

[Gemini_II]

I maintain my compilation as a whole, meaning I will support the addons inside of it to the best of my ability, and help make the addons work for the end user.

I have never claimed being author of any of my compilations mods, and anyone who wrongfully does so should be slathered in honey and thrown to a starving pack of gnomes; it's very bad form. I believe that WowI will not host a compilation if that "author" is claiming ownership of the addons.

Other than that, most decent packages will list what addons they include, but there is no easy way other than that (that I know of). I'd take it as a compliment if your mod is being included in compilations, but if someone is claiming it's theirs, then report it, and wait for the ban-hammer.

[SeiferTim]

Originally Posted by contramundi hmmm, it would indeed be a cheat if not a single credit is given to the original addon authors, but a compilation is only a way of sharing your favorite bunch of addons with the rest of the WOW community. i think it will be really, really hard to figure out which compilations exactly have your addon in use. I think the only true way of knowing who actually is using your addon is by doing something like carbonite is doing, paid license, and even that one isn't all to secure since i could easily send the updated and ingame registered version to all of my friends / guildies / etc. but anyways, those compilations can also been seen as some sort of temporary upload, since game gets updated, and addons even so, and people are bound to look for an updated version and come back to your door when needed. Most great addons are eventually found by people installing a pre-made compilation, and they are also the ones that will get great mouth-to-mouth advertising from these people. "hey dude, you should check out x mod, it makes your wow-experience even better" the same will go exactly for your Addon. I mean if its included in a compilation it rocks when people distribute it as a standalone addon as if it's there own, that sux so to make a very long story come together in once sentence (and please don't take it wrong): i can't really figure out your problem with people using your addon in a compilation? but hey, maybe thats just me

I don't have a problem with people including my AddOn in a Compilation - I'm just curious to know who is using it / where they're getting it from. Downloading a Compilation that includes my AddOn doesn't increase my Download Count at all, so I'm just curious to know.

[contramundi]

hehe, then i truly apologise for misunderstanding you <bows>

but indeed there isn't a real way to keep control of who's actually downloading your addon.

As a non addon author i'm not to familiar with the licensing stuff you can or can't do with your coding, but the only true way to keep in control of who's getting it and who doesn't is by making a personal license thingy like carbonite has.

you can ofcourse do this as a free subscription service (unlike carbonite) which makes people have the addon run for example while it's "registered" under their name.

the other way to keep control of it, is by only letting people who pay for it, download and use it. but even that part isn't all to secure, since like i told, i pay for carbonite, and if i would, i could easily share it with my friends and such.

you could ofcourse implement a third option and thats a popup which tells people to make sure and check xxx site for an updated version, but if people get that pop-up every time, it gets annoying and they won't use the addon anymore.

[SeiferTim]

Originally Posted by contramundi hehe, then i truly apologise for misunderstanding you <bows> but indeed there isn't a real way to keep control of who's actually downloading your addon. As a non addon author i'm not to familiar with the licensing stuff you can or can't do with your coding, but the only true way to keep in control of who's getting it and who doesn't is by making a personal license thingy like carbonite has. you can ofcourse do this as a free subscription service (unlike carbonite) which makes people have the addon run for example while it's "registered" under their name. the other way to keep control of it, is by only letting people who pay for it, download and use it. but even that part isn't all to secure, since like i told, i pay for carbonite, and if i would, i could easily share it with my friends and such. you could ofcourse implement a third option and thats a popup which tells people to make sure and check xxx site for an updated version, but if people get that pop-up every time, it gets annoying and they won't use the addon anymore.

Blah, I wouldn't want to require subscriptions OR money for my cheesy little addon... I didn't know Carbonite was doing something like that... sounds really underhanded to me...
I just thought it would be nice to know if someone thought highly enough of my addon to want to include it in a Compilation or something... although I'm fairly certain that no one has. Maybe after I figure out how to get Data Broker to work it will become more popular

Thanks

[Seerah]

It's not underhanded. It's copyrighted and has people working on it who actually do it as a job and not as a hobby.

[Phanx]

An addon doesn't have to be pay-for-use in order to be licensed. All addons are automatically copyrighted to their author(s) with all rights reserved. If an addon doesn't state any license terms, you must assume that you have no rights to redistribute it in any form, or rerelease modified versions of it, or use parts of its code in your own addon. This is how copyright law works. Addons are affected by copyright in the same way a song, a novel, a painting, or a commercial software suite is.

Unfortunately it seems that the majority of people who zip up a bunch of addons and release it as "My Awesome UI" have no idea how copyright works, and have no awareness of how the addons they are redistributing are licensed. If you are considering releasing a compilation, please take a few minutes to look at each addon and see if its license even allows you to redistribute it. If it's not explicitly allowed, contact the addon's author to get permission before you include it.

Personally, I do not want people redistributing my addons at all, including in compilations, and the license I include with my addons explicitly says this. While I obviously can't physically stop anyone from including my addon in a compilation or uploading it to another site, I do have legal basis for requesting it to be removed if I find it being redistributed, even though I don't charge money or require registration for people to use it.

[Petrah]

Originally Posted by SeiferTim I didn't know Carbonite was doing something like that... sounds really underhanded to me...

There is nothing wrong, or underhanded, for a group of coders to work on something full time as their job and require payment for it. My boyfriend is a programmer by trade and works/supports himself from his home, so for anyone to accuse a programmer of being underhanded simply because they charge a fee for their work just riles me.

Respectfully,
A proud Carbonite user and paid subscriber, and lover of code monkeys.

[SeiferTim]

Originally Posted by Phanx Unfortunately it seems that the majority of people who zip up a bunch of addons and release it as "My Awesome UI" have no idea how copyright works, and have no awareness of how the addons they are redistributing are licensed. If you are considering releasing a compilation, please take a few minutes to look at each addon and see if its license even allows you to redistribute it. If it's not explicitly allowed, contact the addon's author to get permission before you include it.

I couldn't have put it better myself. That is partially the issue I have with the concept of Compilations - and not all of them have that problem, such as Mazzle... it's been a long time since I last tried it out, but I think I remember Mazzle having a spiffy setup wizard that helps the user figure out how to customize the included Addons. That in itself makes it more than just an "unzip these other people's addons to make your UI look like mine".

This conversation has really taken a completely different turn than I intended...

Silenia:

It's not so much that I have a problem with someone asking for money for a program that they wrote, I just wasn't aware that it was going on for AddOns - I guess I always considered the AddOn making community to be more of a sharing and support mindset, and I was quite surprisedto to see that type of practice going on. I'm more of a "give it away to anyone for free, and if they like it enough to donate a couple of bucks, that's awesome, but not required" kind of guy. When you do work for a company, or work on a program that is more or less stand alone that you intend for people to get lots of use out of, then I say definately charge money for your work - I certainly expect to get my paycheck twice a month for the hours and hours I spend coding - in my mind, AddOns fall into a completely different subset of programming - I should have realized that it wasn't the case for everyone.
I suppose Carbonite is free to charge all they want for their AddOn (assuming Blizzard it fine with it).

[Petrah]

Originally Posted by SeiferTim I couldn't have put it better myself. That is partially the issue I have with the concept of Compilations - and not all of them have that problem, such as Mazzle... it's been a long time since I last tried it out, but I think I remember Mazzle having a spiffy setup wizard that helps the user figure out how to customize the included Addons. That in itself makes it more than just an "unzip these other people's addons to make your UI look like mine". This conversation has really taken a completely different turn than I intended... Silenia: It's not so much that I have a problem with someone asking for money for a program that they wrote, I just wasn't aware that it was going on for AddOns - I guess I always considered the AddOn making community to be more of a sharing and support mindset, and I was quite surprisedto to see that type of practice going on. I'm more of a "give it away to anyone for free, and if they like it enough to donate a couple of bucks, that's awesome, but not required" kind of guy. When you do work for a company, or work on a program that is more or less stand alone that you intend for people to get lots of use out of, then I say definately charge money for your work - I certainly expect to get my paycheck twice a month for the hours and hours I spend coding - in my mind, AddOns fall into a completely different subset of programming - I should have realized that it wasn't the case for everyone. I suppose Carbonite is free to charge all they want for their AddOn (assuming Blizzard it fine with it).

I'm sorry. I guess the word "underhanded" was a trip word for me. There's nothing worse than being misunderstood, and I misunderstood you.

[SeiferTim]

Originally Posted by Silenia I'm sorry. I guess the word "underhanded" was a trip word for me. There's nothing worse than being misunderstood, and I misunderstood you.

In retrospect, I think I should have used a better word, my fault.

[Petrah]

Originally Posted by SeiferTim In retrospect, I think I should have used a better word, my fault.

No, my fault x infinity billion.