vBulletin Ethical Dilemma (heh)

[futureal]

So, I find myself in an odd position related to vBulletin hacking.

A user here has written a hack, and endlessly tormented users with screen shots, promises, beta testing and so on, but is charging money for the hack itself. He even has a link to Paypal in his vb.org signature (which is actually the final straw that prompted me to write this message).

I have written my own version of the same hack -- which *I* think is superior, but of course we all prefer our own work -- with the same games and more. My hack started on the same source as his, but is essentially 95% my own code now (with the remaining 5% being var names and related syntax left over from the original source).

So the question is, do I release my hack? Or do I sit on it?

On the one hand, I don't like the idea of people selling hacks, at all. At least, not selling (advertising) them here at vb.org.

On the other hand, I respect the author for the work he put into it, and I do not want to simply screw him over. Additionally, I do not want to piss off the users who have already paid for his hack (and I believe there are at least a few).

Ultimately, I have put a lot of effort into *mine* and would like to release it (and definitely would, were it not for these circumstances) but I can envision an ensuing war that I don't want to be a part of.

(If anybody's interested, you can see my Arcade hack in action at www.shadowsofnamek.com as in my signature below...)