[Brad]

Originally Posted by KidneyBoy

Nextoff, hell you (Jelsoft) run your own site. If you don't want a "big" developer/company to showcase their mods/addons here, then don't let them. Hell I've repeated the following line SEVERAL times: "This site is a privledge, not a right. The administration will determine what content will be allowed and not allowed." But with this thought, still keep the end user in mind.

We do keep the end user in mind, the whole reason we have been discussing this amongst the staff was due to suggestions made by the users here . If you guys want to suggest something that is why this forum is here, and our PM boxes are always open if you need something or want to discuss something.

As marco said sometimes it takes awhile before we come to agreement on if something should be changed and how it should be done. Allowing commercial hacks here would be a big change in this site's policy because they have not been allowed for as long as I've been a member here. Again it's simply something that won't happen 'over night'.

Originally Posted by GoTTi

and im lost in the idea of commercial software. this script and code is all opened source. the php is open source code, all the writing and data is opened source. all of it is available online to use for whoever. so how do we categorize it as opened source, free or commercial? he offered this hack on here for users with valid license users, users that have paid vbulletin for their software and all he is doing is modifying it, expanding the forum capabilites, and he wants to make a buck on it. its no big deal, and its far from commercializing.

When a script must be paid for to be used it's considered to be commercial software. Although the term 'paid hack' might be better suited to this situation.

Again after discussion with the author it was our understanding that:

1) The author intended to charge for the script once beta testing was over.
2) The author planned to remove the beta version once testing was over
3) There would be no 'lite' version released here once beta testing was over.

Under our current rules this is not allowed, see: www.vbulletin.org/forum/rules.php

3) Lite versions of commercial hacks/scripts may be released here as long as:
a) The lite version is fully functional
b) The lite version is not time limited in any way
c) The lite version is completely free
d) The lite version is stand-alone and completely separate to the full version
e) A link back to the full version is allowed, as long as no price or promotional language is embedded into the lite version.

Simply put: We do not allowed 'paid hacks' to be posted, we allow do allow lite versions of paid hacks assuming they agree with the rules quoted above.

Originally Posted by GoTTi

ynot? look. its our choice as subscribers, paying members, hackers, modifiers, what ever we are on here that are able to download these attachments to help this guy make his hack. i am a beta test on his site, and im helping him make this addon with a smile cuz i know that this hack has very big potential for not just my site but hundreds of other sites that run vbulletin. we are the paying customers here. he is a paying customer. its our choice if we choose to help him with beta testing, and since this is the addon world for vbulletin, supported by vb, offered as a extra service by vb with our licenses, then it should be our choice to help him beta test...thats the whole purpose of the beta test process. and we all KNOW he is gunna charge for this addon, maybe, who knows, he might change his mind, but as of right now, this option can make sites money so why shouldnt he?

I agree he did the right thing by letting it be known from the start, no one is trying to label him as a con-man so I apologize if that is how I am coming off. Of course it's your choice to beta test but again the hack in question did not comply with the rules mentioned above.

It's his choice to charge for it, it's your choice to beta test it or buy it but the hack will have to comply with our polices before it can be posted on these forums, it's as simple as that. What I am getting at is us arguing over the status of this modification is going to get us nowhere fast and I have re-stated the reasons why it has been removed many times already.

If you think our policy on commercial hacks should be changed feel free to bring your suggestions to the table.

Also I don't mean to come off as harsh so please don't take it that way.