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Mike Mearls On the OGL
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<blockquote data-quote="redcard" data-source="post: 4312333" data-attributes="member: 68928"><p>Well, honestly, my FLGS hated the OGL. Sure, it produced some good products, but now every Tom Dick and Harry who could buy the rights from a movie product would create a RPG using D20. There are rows upon rows of merchndise that will never sell , will never be played, and are just crap products. Yes, there were gems, and that's awesome, but there were a lot more stinkers than gems.</p><p></p><p>Second, for the person who said that Opensource software is about one central code base with lots of developers, that's one way to do it. A more common way to do it now is distributed code bases that serve multiple purposes. For example, in Pidgin, there is a library called "LibPurple" that connects to various IM clients. That's used ALL over the place. It's expanded upon in different projects, and sometimes that code is folded back, sometimes it is not. Wizards is not a Microsoft because Wizards released their code under the OGL, as it were. They can't undo it. If you look at the OGL, you'll see that there's no way to undo what they've done. </p><p></p><p>Opensource works because of three key components, and this is from someone who is an opensource developer.</p><p></p><p>ONE. Freedom. The freedom to do what we want, when we want it, how we want it.</p><p></p><p>TWO. Code Reuse. The ability to take leverage large groups of coders to improve functionality in multiple products by providing functionality in ONE product. </p><p></p><p>THREE. Code Sharing. The ability to completely share all forms of code that touches an opensource product without fear of retribution. </p><p></p><p>Free software licensed under an opensource licenses is nearly viral, and it's complete for the entire project. Any code that touches most free software is typically released under the same license. In one case, it MUST be released under the same license. The failing of the OGL is it tried to "half-ass" Opensource. It allowed for the ability to create "closed source" zones. And when you have that ability, and companies are afraid of their IP wandering off, they will often use it. </p><p></p><p>In order for the OGL to be as successful as Opensource, you must get people to believe in the Open Source methodology. You must not have "Non-covered" zones. You must have people willing to take and extend the product at their leisure. </p><p></p><p>Now I agree that Wizards is not as good as anyone else in this.. but I remember when the OGL came out. I remember Wizards and people around Wizards coming onto Opensource mailing lists and discussing things like this. I remember the excitement that people got as we saw opensource flowing in a new direction. (To that end, we recommneded the GFDL instead of the OGL, but that was shot down quickly.)</p><p></p><p>I think it's obvious that the OGL has failed. A major system released under it, and their next revision was pulled out. No other major system is released under the OGL. Yes, there are derivatives of D20 that are now OGL'd and will always be. But until you get the three things I mentioned above, you're not going to see any Open license mimic what the Free Software Movement has done.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="redcard, post: 4312333, member: 68928"] Well, honestly, my FLGS hated the OGL. Sure, it produced some good products, but now every Tom Dick and Harry who could buy the rights from a movie product would create a RPG using D20. There are rows upon rows of merchndise that will never sell , will never be played, and are just crap products. Yes, there were gems, and that's awesome, but there were a lot more stinkers than gems. Second, for the person who said that Opensource software is about one central code base with lots of developers, that's one way to do it. A more common way to do it now is distributed code bases that serve multiple purposes. For example, in Pidgin, there is a library called "LibPurple" that connects to various IM clients. That's used ALL over the place. It's expanded upon in different projects, and sometimes that code is folded back, sometimes it is not. Wizards is not a Microsoft because Wizards released their code under the OGL, as it were. They can't undo it. If you look at the OGL, you'll see that there's no way to undo what they've done. Opensource works because of three key components, and this is from someone who is an opensource developer. ONE. Freedom. The freedom to do what we want, when we want it, how we want it. TWO. Code Reuse. The ability to take leverage large groups of coders to improve functionality in multiple products by providing functionality in ONE product. THREE. Code Sharing. The ability to completely share all forms of code that touches an opensource product without fear of retribution. Free software licensed under an opensource licenses is nearly viral, and it's complete for the entire project. Any code that touches most free software is typically released under the same license. In one case, it MUST be released under the same license. The failing of the OGL is it tried to "half-ass" Opensource. It allowed for the ability to create "closed source" zones. And when you have that ability, and companies are afraid of their IP wandering off, they will often use it. In order for the OGL to be as successful as Opensource, you must get people to believe in the Open Source methodology. You must not have "Non-covered" zones. You must have people willing to take and extend the product at their leisure. Now I agree that Wizards is not as good as anyone else in this.. but I remember when the OGL came out. I remember Wizards and people around Wizards coming onto Opensource mailing lists and discussing things like this. I remember the excitement that people got as we saw opensource flowing in a new direction. (To that end, we recommneded the GFDL instead of the OGL, but that was shot down quickly.) I think it's obvious that the OGL has failed. A major system released under it, and their next revision was pulled out. No other major system is released under the OGL. Yes, there are derivatives of D20 that are now OGL'd and will always be. But until you get the three things I mentioned above, you're not going to see any Open license mimic what the Free Software Movement has done. [/QUOTE]
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