Is VBulliton Opensource?

[Pastel]

I know it's not free but is its sourcecode open? How does that usually work with PHP coded products? Is there a way that they close their sourcecode?

[IceNine]

vBulletin is "visual source" meaning you can see the source code and it is not compiled.

Open Source denotes that the software is distributed under the GNU Public license or a derivative allowing free distribution. vBulletin does not qualify for this definition and is only available legally through commercial purchase.

This is something I saw at the VB site.

[ilja]

They are not opensource. But their source is not closed. You are able and allowed to see it and to edit it,. But it is not as free as beer or as the speech. I think you missunderstand the open source licence. See also : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source

And there is a posssibility to code PHP, so the source cannot be viewed. e.g. http://www.zend.com/store/products/zend-encoder.php or http://www.phpbuilder.com/lists/php-...03091/0741.php
*moved to wibble*

[IceNine]

I forgot to answer your question about closing source code. Sorry.

Zend (the PHP company) and others offer 'PHP encoders' that basically convert your software into bytecode information. This will usually cost money as well. Zend's Encoder requires that the user of the software you have encoded must download and install Zend Optimizer (free).

Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by Zend Encoder

The Zend Encoder is the recognized industry standard in PHP intellectual property protection. The Zend Encoder allows an unlimited number of PHP applications to be distributed, while ensuring your investment and source code are protected from copyright infringement.

Independent Software Vendors (ISV's) and Professional Service Providers (PSP's) rely on the Zend Encoder to deliver their exclusive and commercial PHP applications to customers without revealing their valuable intellectual property. By protecting their PHP applications, these and other enterprises expand distribution and increase revenue.

Originally Posted by Zend Optimizer

The Zend Optimizer is a free application that runs the files encoded by the Zend Encoder and Zend SafeGuard Suite, while enhancing the running speed of PHP applications.

[Pastel]

Originally Posted by IceNine

I forgot to answer your question about closing source code. Sorry.

Zend (the PHP company) and others offer 'PHP encoders' that basically convert your software into bytecode information. This will usually cost money as well. Zend's Encoder requires that the user of the software you have encoded must download and install Zend Optimizer (free).

Hope this helps!

I'll check VBulltion's licensing out as I really want to get it. I am not against charging for sevices and support. but really think code should be all open for security and maintanance, economic reasons.

[IceNine]

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe you can technically edit the code, but you may void your warranty...

[ilja]

No you can hack on your code without problems. There is even a hacks forum on the vbulletin official support forum and you can even release your hacks freely, but it is still not open source. If you want an open source bulletion board software, that is quite good see http://www.phpbb.com/

[jcstille]

Right, there are so many lisceneses that it gets confusing. However the source is opensource, the liscense is not free, and hack are permitted, but the base cannot be redistributed.

[Pastel]

Originally Posted by jcstille

Right, there are so many licensees that it gets confusing. However the source is opensource, the liscense is not free, and hack are permitted, but the base cannot be redistributed.

I guess that sums it up. I really wish the government would come up with an opensource regulation. Something like OSS (Open Source Standard). They’re going to have to if they want the Internet to stay afloat, I think. It would be easier to track code for viruses this way, I think.

phpbb is really nice but I like all of the different functions with vbulliton and the complex reputation system. Plus it's connection to vbPortal. Plus you don’t have to mod it too much for speed.

I am still looking at all of this contract stuff and wonder how it could be profitable to have everything under OSI. Is this possible? How could something like a computer game be under OSI and still make money? From what I read of the Open Source Initiative they want everything Opensource but how would this work for the economy?

Is there an OpenSource Initiative forum?

[jcstille]

OpenSource works based on lowered devleopment costs (as the volunteer developers of the world are free) and you get paid for support. RedHat makes a lot of their money on support contracts, not the sale of the product. But then again they only need a company of 782 people to create the products they have, because the kernel is made for them.

You can also check out www.opensource.org (I assume your talk about OSI indicates you have been there, but also http://www.osdl.org/ is another good resource.

[echoghost]

vBulletin is not open source, and there is an official "hacks" forum at vbulletin.org (not .com) where you can get official support for modified versions of vbulletin. They do have a team of lawyers that work for them in case of anybody obtaining and using pirated versions of vBulletin.

[crackers]

Originally Posted by Pastel

I really wish the government would come up with an opensource regulation. Something like OSS (Open Source Standard). They’re going to have to if they want the Internet to stay afloat, I think. It would be easier to track code for viruses this way, I think.

Which government? Internet stay afloat? Viruses? I don't want to sound like I'm bashing on you, but that is one of the strangest concatenation of totally disparate items that I think I've seen. How does FOSS equate to viruses? And what does all this have to do with the Internet?

[Pastel]

Because of the opensource nature of Internet software, some people think having too much code or software closed source on the Internet can impede security standards.
Probably making something OSI a government standard for security reasons would be too much though. There has been this debate weather all software should go opensource and I was testing to see if it was realistic, which it’s not.

[crackers]

As I said before: WHICH government? The last time I looked, there were over 200 national governments (aka countries) - they can't even get unanimous votes in the UN Security Council, much less the General Assembly. And not all countries are even signatories to the Berne Convention, which would be the place to start.

[Pastel]

International Organization for Standards (ISO)