Nexus permissions rules (Compilation Patch)

[XTR3M368]

Kal, you make good points. I guess that is the conundrum....where the Nexus decides draw the line in the sand? "The ends justify the means" can't be a rule of thumb obviously. I also agree that too strict of a TOS mod posting set of rules will keep some good mods (and sometimes desperately needed patch mods) from being created. I think that we might just have to rely on the good judgement of the admins and moderators that Dark0ne has hand-picked. That might let some of the "small fish" offenders get away with "theft", but the big, high profile and obvious ones won't. It is like the police....they can't catch everyone, but the world is a better place with them.

[KalChoedan]

I think this is the crux of the matter. It's a corner case, but a significant one.

 

It's really important to emphasise this. This is about bug fixes specifically, not about modding in general. The way the community has operated to date is that nobody "owns" bug fixes. That's really important. You find and fix a bug, you let the community know about it (whether by posting about it somewhere or by producing a file and releasing it), that bugfix then becomes part of the community's accumulated knowledge and can then be incorporated wherever it's relevant, whether that's into an over-arching bugfix "unofficial patch" or just into your own mod that happens to touch the same things.

 

The original discoverer of the bug/author of the fix certainly deserves credit for finding the bug/figuring out the fix, but they certainly don't have any right to deny anyone else permission to fix that bug themselves (which is what denying permission to use "their work" would amount to.)

[Jager23]

I like the idea about a bug fixes section. Seems like a winner with seemingly no detractors. What does Dark0ne think? Anyone been able to reach him for comment?

[Zenball]

I like the idea about a bug fixes section. Seems like a winner with seemingly no detractors. What does Dark0ne think? Anyone been able to reach him for comment?

 

He is aware of the thread and is aware of the fact that I have made some suggestions as I PM'd him and told him about it. He didn't reply so I can only conclude that he has either decided to ignore the issue or wait until the debate had reached some sort of conclusion. As I think we have probably got as far as we can with this, and that the people who have responded to some of the ideas have been fairly positive and not offered any alternatives or developed any of the points, it is probably now best left in his hands what to do.

[Earthbound_X]

A bugfixing categorie sounds like a good idea.

[Brianide]

If the people doing the "compilation" type patches just posted the patches without posting the original author's content, it wouldn't be a problem. That would fall in line with the Nexus TOS.

The problem with a list, rather than a compilation ESP, is that you have dozens of individual downloads and a ton of ESPs cluttering up your load list, which is nightmarish if the player isn't using any mod manager besides the vanilla launcher.

 

I have mod that was briefly in this compilation (someone made a better version that rendered mine obsolete). I received a PM about it after my mod was already included, which upset me for all of ten seconds before I considered that Zenball has probably spent more time putting together this collection of mods than I did making my particular patch (I believe mine took about half an hour).

 

Also, he very well may have sent that PM to me before including my mod (I can't find it now to verify one way or the other). The "permission first" rule sounds wonderful on paper, but it sort of fails when some jerk like me doesn't check his PMs for a week.

[KalChoedan]

A bugfixing categories sounds like a good idea.

 

You know what? The more I think about it the more I think this is exactly the right answer. It puts all the power in the hands of the modder. Make available a bugfix category and make it very clear that if you choose to put your mod in that category it essentially makes that file forevermore community property. Suddenly the Nexus becomes a valuable bug-searching/stomping tool for anyone motivated enough to take on something like a community patch. Nobody is compelled to put their fix mods into the bugfix category - but if it's a really simple mod, it has to be realised that eventually, someone will.

 

That also proves to be a useful and modder-controlled method of "drawing the line" - no-one at the Nexus needs to make that decision, if an individual modder believes that they put enough effort into the fix that it's become more than a simple bug fix, they can choose to use a different category.

 

By george, I think he has it!

[gsmanners]

Read my ideas. ...

 

What do people think of the specific ideas I have come up with? If we talk concretely about these, and develop them we might get somewhere. If we keep the discussion mired in generalities, defending positions etc, we will go nowhere.

 

This is how you are implying that we are stupid. You keep beating this drum like you're the only one offering ideas. Just calm down and go away for a while.

[Vagrant0]

Just calm down and go away for a while.

Although I disagree with the reasons why this comment was posted, I think the underlying message is probably the best one. This little issue it seems does not reach only to this site, but rather has taken center stage throughout most of the community. I think that perhaps we should all take a step back, shed our biases and personal interests, and try to find some common solution as a community, rather than as individuals.

Edited November 12, 2010 by Vagrant0

[DERPshi]

I think it is sick that you guys have no respect for modder's rights. Why would anyone make a bug fix if soomeone can just come along and steal it for their own mod?