[Owncloud] OwnCloud Android App Open Source or Not?

Sat Aug 31 19:07:32 UTC 2013

Hi,

thanks very much indeed for the detailed explanation. And I agree that such information in the app description would be good, and I guess that it could motivate one or the other who otherwise wouldn't buy the app, to actually do so!

Best regards,
Randolph

Alessandro Cosentino <cosenal at gmail.com> schrieb:
>@Tom: great points! Maybe we should write those points somewhere more
>explicitly, like on the Google play store page?
>
>Alessandro
>
>On Fri, Aug 30, 2013 at 11:57 AM, Derek Broes <derek at broes.net> wrote:
>> Is it not permissible to compile your own app with your own
>contributions
>> and sell yourself? If you add some great features to the app and
>maybe
>> change the UI a bit you can sell a different version of the app
>yourself as
>> long as you make your improvement and code availble to the community
>for
>> free.  This is beauty of open source.  I have my own app that has
>features I
>> built but they are features specific to ne and my company so I dobt
>sell
>> them but, I could sell ny app too. Diversity and choice is terrific. 
>We
>> need more than one app anyway.  Build away and I will be first in
>line to
>> buy the app.
>>
>> On Aug 30, 2013 8:12 AM, "Randolph Carter"
><RandolphCarter at fantasymail.de>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Exactly the point which I wanted to raise as well. In my opinion, in
>>> such a case as the owncloud app it needs to be clear where the money
>>> goes exactly. Because why should someone work on something where
>>> *somebody else* earns money for it?
>>>
>>> It's not the contributing itself which is in question here; nor the
>fact
>>> that there's no money for it - I think we all know that the real
>benefit
>>> and reward of working on Open Source software lie somewhere else
>than in
>>> money. However, if contributing means helping someone else to earn
>>> money, without getting any oneself, that has the potential to squash
>any
>>> motivation for contributing for free.
>>>
>>> I don't argue that open source software cannot also be sold. I just
>want
>>> to make the point that in the best interest of keeping everybody
>>> interested in contributing, transparency of any such money flows is
>>> crucial!
>>>
>>> Randolph
>>>
>>> On 2013-08-30 15:06, Alessandro Cosentino wrote:
>>> > Sorry to butt in on this conversation, but I believe the main
>point,
>>> > on which Kelvin was confused when he asked those questions on IRC,
>was
>>> > not addressed in this thread yet.
>>> > Let me play his advocate here. We encouraged him to not fork the
>>> > project and to rather work along the owncloud community to the
>>> > existing app.
>>> > And yes, almost all of us agree that "Selling free software" is
>the
>>> > right thing to do.
>>> > But his point (at least on IRC) was: if I help with coding, will I
>get
>>> > a percentage of the money that users pay for the app?
>>> > If not, who gets the money?
>>> > On IRC we weren't able to address these questions.
>>> >
>>> > Alessandro
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Fri, Aug 30, 2013 at 3:09 AM, Jan-Christoph Borchardt
>>> > <hey at jancborchardt.net> wrote:
>>> >> In addition to what Frank said, you might find this article on
>>> >> »Selling Free Software« interesting:
>>> >> https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html
>>> >>
>>> >> »Many people believe that the spirit of the GNU Project is that
>you
>>> >> should not charge money for distributing copies of software, or
>that
>>> >> you should charge as little as possible — just enough to cover
>the
>>> >> cost. This is a misunderstanding.
>>> >> Actually, we encourage people who redistribute free software to
>charge
>>> >> as much as they wish or can. If this seems surprising to you,
>please
>>> >> read on.«
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> It’s similar if you look at some of the other apps interacting
>with
>>> >> ownCloud, notably the mobile apps for the News reader.
>>> >> There’s the Android app by David:
>>> >>
>>> >>
>https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.luhmer.owncloudnewsreader
>>> >> And the iOS app by Peter:
>>> >> https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iocnews/id683859706
>>> >> I think it’s great that they develop both open source, and charge
>for
>>> >> them too. And it’s worth it because the apps are really good!
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> So please be welcome and contribute:
>http://github.com/owncloud/android
>>> >> :)
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> On Fri, Aug 30, 2013 at 12:45 AM, Frank Karlitschek
>>> >> <frank at owncloud.org> wrote:
>>> >>> Hi Kelvin,
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> On 29.08.2013, at 21:36, Kelvin Hammond
><hammond.kelvin at gmail.com>
>>> >>> wrote:
>>> >>>
>>> >>>> I'm wanting to add CalDav and CardDav support to the android
>owncloud
>>> >>>> app and maybe some other features should I have the time to do
>so.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> The problem I'm running into now is that the app is for sale on
>the
>>> >>>> android market instead of free even though its open source.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> This is not an contradiction. The app is open source but also
>cost
>>> >>> $0.99 in the store.
>>> >>> The money is used to pay for some of the development that goes
>into
>>> >>> the app. If you don't want to spend one dollar than you can grab
>the source
>>> >>> code from github, compile it yourself and put it on you device.
>But I think
>>> >>> it's friendly to support the development with $0.99
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>> I've paid for the app on the market already only to find that
>it
>>> >>>> doesn't support contacts or calendar sync which is what I
>bought it for.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Sorry for that. I think it was in the app description that it
>support
>>> >>> access to files but no contacts/calendar syncing yet.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>> I'd have no problem doing it for free if the app was free but
>seeing
>>> >>>> as how the app isn't free who does the money go to?
>>> >>>
>>> >>> The money goes to the developers who write this open source app.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>> If I add these features am I allowed to fork the owncloud app
>and put
>>> >>>> it on sale on the android market?
>>> >>>
>>> >>> You are allowed to do that. It is is open source so you can fork
>it if
>>> >>> you want. But I would recommend to not do that but to contribute
>to the
>>> >>> existing app. The ownCloud community is friendly and open for
>new
>>> >>> contributors, ideas and code. So I would recommend to look at
>the code on
>>> >>> github and submit your extension and pull request. It's better
>to work
>>> >>> together instead of duplicate work.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Thanks a lot and let me know if you have any questions.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Cheers
>>> >>> Frank
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> --
>>> >>>> Thank you,
>>> >>>> Kelvin Hammond
>>> >>>> _______________________________________________
>>> >>>> Owncloud mailing list
>>> >>>> Owncloud at kde.org
>>> >>>> https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/owncloud
>>> >>>
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>>> >
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>>
>>
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