Procon License Changes

I rarely post on this blog anymore, mostly because there have been very few updates to the core of Procon due to time constraints.  In the next couple of months we’ll be making some license changes to future versions of Procon. We’re reaching out for lawyers to help the project so if you know anyone willing to work pro bono please link them here.

This project has now profited me two weeks work as a burger flipper at McDonalds here in Australia. As the intention was never to make money, this would leave me overjoyed at unforeseen success of Procon.   I originally wrote Procon in three weeks over my mid-semester break of University.  It was, and still is, mad scientist code that is paying for no design work at all

Procon was released under the GNU GPL like all of my work. I expected a user-base of 100 or so people maybe and never thought anyone would really benefit from it.  Since then company’s have spring up hosting the software, the user-base is in the tens of thousands (still.. scary eh?) and hosting is surprisingly still on the increase at some places.  We’re programming Procon 2 in our free time, which since leaving University is limited nowadays and slower work than Procon 1. I hope to support some version of Procon long into the future.

The above sounds like this is going to be a rant. Leave the guff, gimme the basic facts!

What license changes?

Procon will remain open source, but version 1.1 and onwards will require payment from commercial endeavors that host Procon for others.

Specifics and pricing will be released at a later date.

I have to pay?

If you make money from Procon, yes.  If not then you can continue using it like you are now.

What if I just host 1.0?

Then there is no requirement for you to support Procon, the developers or their starving children.  You may continue hosting Procon 1.0.0.2 and below without paying royalties to Procon, just like now. Enjoy

Can you do this?

It’s this or project death.

I’m a user, should I donate moar?

Yes!.. No.. No.. No that’s not what this is about.  We’re looking at mostly cutting in on those that are profiting from Procon right now. Unless you’re loaded with cash and laughing at the little people, please don’t put yourself out

LOL that’s fine I’ll just go use Generic Rcon Project Name

No man, you’re missing the point :p  We love you, we just don’t love being left out in the cold.  I hope like hell that I can draft this license and provide it to other rcon projects like B3 for free. (note: I don’t speak for them, this is just the example and Courgette is pretty cool so I don’t think they would mind)

Hopefully we can break the cycle of middlemen benefiting from our projects and the expectation that this is normal/acceptable. Yes it’s only rcon software, but a lot more hours gets invested into projects like these than the average user could fathom.

You used to be cool man, but you got greedy..

A single host is earning upwards of [removed: several-several-several-several thousand AUD] a month on Procon.  There are more hosts out there, some possibly with more but most likely less. I’m earning about ~$50-70 after expenses (see right hand column). I think I’m better off than most similar projects out there, but I still have to buy the cheaper beer

I’m looking at this project getting cut, not getting rich.

I’m not looking for sponsorship either.  Previous experience has shown me that this benefits only one of the parties, whether its their intention or not.

What sparked this?

This actual idea is from one of the procon hosts very recently while they were looking to contribute back to the project.  Ike mobilized the idea and started researching everything for me.  Mostly blame Ike if you’re going to be a little out of pocket by this

My “What about me/us?” moment actually came from seeing B3′s struggle to find financial support or sponsorship to add Homefront support to their software.  An awesome project halted by $150 worth of games? Piss on that.  They shouldn’t have to think about it while others make money from their software.

Our projects that benefit other commercial businesses should be concerned with how to spend our budget, not on simply having a budget.

Why don’t you host it yourself?  I’d sign up with you!

Thanks!  But I don’t have the time to setup a business and work on the software that would be the foundation of that business. One would suffer greatly, and one already is (see lack of updates)

I’m a hater.  I’m going to hate.

Most of what I do is for the benefit of others.  I don’t think of myself as a nice person, but I always do nice things.

Comments are disabled for this post. Please see the forum thread http://www.phogue.net/forumvb/showthread.php?2183-Procon-License-Changes to discuss and quote this post.

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