proplem with having to ask authors for permission
 

I've been waiting for a while for a authors permission to port over a hack can I just port it over?

Port it for your own use, but you can not post it here for install credit.

If you can port it over, why not just create it from scratch?

If I wanted to port a hack and I PMed/Emailed the Hack author and he never replied to me, I would just port the hack myself with new functions, new code and release it to the public. Your allowed to do that, just give credit to the original author.

If I hadn't ported one of my 3.0.x hacks and I wasn't active anymore, it wouldn't borther me any.

However not everyone thinks like that. =/

It's risky - if you port the same hack over, the code isn't going to be that different so there's always room for the "stolen code" accusation.

I'll just use personall in till I get a reply I've emailed and PMed.

If the author has not responded to e-mails and PM's then the chances are they will never know [or care] anyway.

There are only so many ways to do some things in code, so hacks can always be open to "stolen" accusations. I'm sure many hacks on here "borrow" bits of code from other hacks (and from vb itself) I know some of mine have, and I know others have used mine (at least one hack here is a straight copy of one of mine with nothing more than a few variable name changes ;)). People don't re-invent the wheel. :D

Until the system is changed so that the thread starter does not receive author credit when it comes to titles, awards, etc. I believe ports should continue to require the author's permission to start a new thread.

A port is essentially clerical work. It requires no creative thought, little coding or design skills, etc. It doesn't deserve the same credit as an original mod release.

If you are dying to share your port and don't have permission to start a new release thread, post it in the original mod's thread.