Abandoned Mods

[QT31415]

I started the post just to ask a question. I don't want a war or arguments of ethics. A modder should have rights to their work. This is a gaming industry where things happen fast. People come and go like the tides. There are tons of decent mods that are no longer supported. My only question was CAN you continue adding to it while giving permissions to the original author. If they show back up, retract your work at their request or work out a deal with the original person.

 

I just don't know. It seems if you tried to contact, seriously contact them and get no reply what makes the effort valid? Anyone can forge an email showing permission. Also, anyone can deny giving permission long after work has been done. There should be some time limit for public domain if there have been no updates or appearance of the modder on Nexus. With full credit of the concept and all work done to that point by the original person. Is the mod really dead if they never show back up?

[gsmanners]

If you attempted to distribute other people's work without permission, you will likely be banned from the site. If you don't like it, go to another site.

[ghosu]

You have no right to continue working on another person's mod, not matter how popular or old it is....asking for permission and getting no answer = no, not matter how long you wait...it's simply not you work so you have no right to use the files.

 

Of course you can just skip that part and simply use the mod without permission, but the risk to get banned is pretty high.

 

If you mail a bank, asking for permission to rob it and you get no response after 3 months it's still against the law to rob it.

Edited December 19, 2012 by ghosu

[QT31415]

gsmanners, I ASKED a question. I am not into hijacking someone's work. You don't have to start accusing me of anything or trying to direct me elsewhere. I never said I was distributing anything. It was a question. I neither implied or intended anything you refer to.

 

I just reread my posting. It seems innocent enough to me. Had my intent been to take anything I seriously doubt I would have started this post.

 

LOL I just read your signature.

 

The best ideas are common property. --Seneca

 

So much for that idea. maybe you should change it. just sayin

Edited December 20, 2012 by QT31415

[Arcadiast]

guys relax! if he were going to use other peoples work he would´nt be asking here.

 

back to the initial question; I am afraid when the original author is not available than the mod stays the way it is. The current rule of thumb is, as long as the original author did not give his permission (either by personal mail or in the description) you may not touch his work period!

 

I understand why you are asking though. It seems a great waste when some modder abandones an otherwise great mod for whatever reasons and "vanishes" forever in the mists of time, that this mod shall die a slow and certain death because of "outdating". It would be logical, that after sometime when the original author has been tried to reach by every means possible without success and his/hers whereabouts remain unknown (lets say 6 Months), that the mod is considered "public treasure" and serious modders are allowed to continue it with all due credits and respect to the original author and also with the option that when the original author does come back he/she does not "lose" any right to the mod and can continue also with all due credits and respect to those who continued it in his/her absence.

 

Unfortunately this is a very sensible issue and its incredibly difficult to find a consens between the involved parties.

 

Its sad but ultimately understandable.

[steve40]

Not sure if anyone has quoted the Nexus Terms of Service regarding this topic, but here it is:

 

"All files uploaded must have been created by the uploader or used with permission from the original author of the content."

"If you cannot provide proof of consent when asked then your file will be removed and your account is likely to be banned."

 

Does that answer your question?

Edited December 20, 2012 by steve40

[gsmanners]

LOL I just read your signature.

 

The best ideas are common property. --Seneca

 

So much for that idea. maybe you should change it. just sayin

 

I stand behind my quote. In fact, I'll go so far as to call out YOUR GREED as the epitome of evil in this world. Maybe YOU should think about what you are really saying, and try to show a little more empathy with us mod creators.

[QT31415]

To Arcadiast and Steve40 (some others, but obviously not all) thanks for solid, informative input and with holding the accusations. To bad some great mods end up collecting dust.

[Vanadinit]

For me TESVEdit maybe fix the BOSS log but I don't see any improvements on my papyrus log's and ofc the game is bugging still around some locations with some mods.

TESVEdit is easy to use if you watch the video. I just watch it once and you will get it.

And I agree with gsmanners because If I must fix someone others program and I must figure out what is wrong with it, its make me crazy. Hard enough to find my own created malfunctions ha ^^

Also I think for some modifications you want to fix you need also the source and if you cant get it you cant do it right or cant figure out how it works.

[budcat]

There could be varying opinions about what constitutes neglect. It took me 8 months to put out a fairly simple fix to my spell level cap mod because I was on a sabbatical from going anywhere near my mods to just play some Skyrim so that I might rekindle my love of both. Were someone to have just gone ahead and made the fix, honestly it'd be hard for me to even know, because I just use my mod, I don't often search for similar mods and compare them to my own once they have been made all that often. And in this case, being a simple mod, I'd not be all that inclined to care.

 

But they'd still be wrong in presuming the mod had been disowned despite such a long period of neglect.

 

In the end, while it hurts to see my mods ripped off, which has happened occasionally over the years, I try to take solace in knowing it's still my creation reaching more people. I try to be a good Taoist about it. So for me personally, the minute I publish a mod I consider it open-source and open for unlimited modification, reproduction, bootlegging, piggy-backing, and outright stealing. What do I care? It's a mod. Take it, ab imo pectore.

Edited April 22, 2013 by budcat