Banishment Clarification

[Arthmoor]

Question about a tangent issue that was ever so lightly touched on.

 

Suppose a modder who uploaded their mods here does something to get banned. What becomes of those files? Do they get removed or does the now banned modder need to explicitly ask for their stuff to be removed should they no longer wish to have it hosted on a site that banned them?

[TheVampireDante]

So what you're saying is that it should be all about modders' rights and not even a thought about modders' responsibilities? That the staff should not give them a heads-up when their file has been uploaded or re-uploaded without their permission, let alone ask for their opinion on the situation?

 

In the case of the two people in the original post of this topic, it was the mod's author that reported them...

 

The mod in question as regarding those two was, and is still uploaded and freely available on this site, the creators were not asked permission to re-upload. There was no reason for the file to be taken and re-uploaded anywhere.

 

Edit: To answer Arthmoor.

 

The files usually remain, unless we are requested via the 'contact form' or email to remove them. Only exception being is if the file(s) in question are the reason for the ban. Those are removed at the time of the ban.

 

On a personal note about that, I'd rather remove them regardless of the ban reason. As in - if you are banned from the site, so is your content. But that is another subject...

[Rabbit1251]

In the case of the two people in the original post of this topic, it was the mod's author that reported them...

 

The mod in question as regarding those two was, and is still uploaded and freely available on this site, the creators were not asked permission to re-upload. There was no reason for the file to be taken and re-uploaded anywhere.

 

Thank you, Mr. Dante. That helps very much to answer my original question. The more that I know the less likely that I am to inadvertently fall into the same trap as they did.

 

 

Rabbit

[Kendo 2]

I don't think this was ever a serious problem here at Nexus before Fallout New Vegas. Sure a few people would poach OB mods meant for the Japanese community and upload them but it was never the firestorm New Vegas people started. :confused:

[ziitch]

I can't say much, but after seeing a recent banning, the modder was honest and wanted to contact the original modders but did not speak English. Now, this is where I say someone on the staff needs to help him get that permission instead of simply stating "no" and a swing of the banhammer, because the thing that caused the breaking of the rule was a language barrier.

 

And the way the banhammers are swung around here... The way it just sounds, seeing BANNED right beside your name just seems to signify that you're not wanted here anymore, and I know that's sometimes not the case... Does any of the staff talk to these people before they get banned? Maybe it should be made something of habit with certain offenders...

[Thandal]

I can't say much, but after seeing a recent banning, the modder was honest and wanted to contact the original modders but did not speak English. Now, this is where I say someone on the staff needs to help him get that permission instead of simply stating "no" and a swing of the banhammer, because the thing that caused the breaking of the rule was a language barrier.

 

And the way the banhammers are swung around here... The way it just sounds, seeing BANNED right beside your name just seems to signify that you're not wanted here anymore, and I know that's sometimes not the case... Does any of the staff talk to these people before they get banned? Maybe it should be made something of habit with certain offenders...

As the Moderator who issued that ban, three points:

 

1) We don't "debate" bans in the public forums. You may PM me (or any member of Staff) if you have an issue.

 

2) You are not aware of the additional conversations between the Staff and the modder prior to the ban. The snippet include in the ban notice was simply to make clear that the member knew permission should have been obtained.

 

3) If the modder had requested assistance PRIOR to using someone else's work, it MIGHT have been provided. But that is not the function of the Staff here. Pretty sure other modders would have been quite willing to help if the member had posted a request in the "Mod Discussion" forum.

[myrmaad]

We had a case where we were so fed up with a banned member we decided not to host their mods here, and removed them -- and the modder was incensed we took them down. I think it was a first. Arthmoor, you seem to ask this same question periodically, and the answer is always the same: as a courtesy we will leave them up unless we are asked to delete them. If you think it would be best if we delete them instead, then you are free to open a discussion centered on that issue. I will support you in that cause.

[Arthmoor]

Yeah, I had a nagging feeling I'd probably asked it before but wasn't sure.

[DarkeWolf]

That was me that said "I meant elsewhere."

 

I actually do not have any mods on the nexus (well, I did upload one or two as an attachment to a post in the mod request forum a long time ago) and probably won't as most of my modding effort goes to tweaking (in some cases heavily, some are now more "mine" than "theirs") mods for story or convenience purposes.

 

Anyway the main reason I keep persisting on this issue is because I do get asked about certain mods a lot and it's a lot easier for me point people to a url than email them every time. (I've gotten at least a dozen requests for one in particular, some from here some from elsewhere, probably because I'm known to be a packrat keeping all my mod zip files) A password-protected page on my site should qualify as "non public" enough for such purposes I think.

 

(tbh I think the whole thing's pretty silly, mods are essentially open source and should be treated as such)

 

Noooooo no no they are not "open source" ! Unless particularly stated by the author that the files can be redistributed, reworked, or other permissions are given.

 

MODS ARE NOT "OPEN SOURCE". They are files that are the Personal Property of the authors. Those authors have the right to say what can, and cannot be done with their files. Just because they CHOOSE to have them uploaded to such and such site, DOES NOT MEAN that they give permission for it to be uploaded all over the place by whoever feels like it.

That does not mean that they give permission to alter their files, and then reupload them as the new author's own work.

 

THAT would be "Open Source". Open source is you can do whatever you want with it. Mods are personal property and cannot be treated as "Open Source" UNLESS the modder specifically STATES that they don't care what is done with their work, or STATE that you can do what you want with it, as long as credit is given to them.

 

You don't borrow out an ipod from a friend and then just loan it to everybody that you know, or asks to play with it. Same with mods. You respect that person's property. And the privileges that they gave you, when they let you use it.

Modders are letting you use their work, for your own use. Not for everybody else's use that you know.

 

End. Period.

[JimboUK]

I don't think this was ever a serious problem here at Nexus before Fallout New Vegas. Sure a few people would poach OB mods meant for the Japanese community and upload them but it was never the firestorm New Vegas people started. :confused:

 

I'm sure we would have seen the same thing happen if it was as easy to port from Oblivion to Fallout3 and it was Fallout 3 to Fallout:NV. I bet we don't see the same thing with Skyrim, porting to that from Oblivion or the Fallout games won't be so easy with the new engine.