[MPlayer-users] warpvision - close this.

[Arpi]

Hi,

Ok. I see you still don't understand what happened and why were we so upset.
So, let me explain:

The FACTS:
A russian "coder" has "ported" mplayer (actually removed/disabled half of the
code and added audio/video support using someone else's code, so actually
hacked together 3 opensource projects at most ugliest way) to OS/2.
It is not problem, it is even somehow good, but we would like more if he
send patches for mplayer instead of fork'ing development.

The PROBLEM:
He provided this stuff for download at os2.ru page. He provided no sources
at all. He provided it as _HIS_OWN_PRODUCT_UNDER_HIS_NAME_ and he even not
mentioned the mplayer or ffmpeg or os/2 ao/vo lib authors nor any of
these project names. We can call it only 'code stealing'.
Tell me if you disagree, and please explain why.

Our REACTION:
As soon as we got informed about this, we sent some mails to their mailing list.
The mails didn't arrived in few hours. We thought the list is moderated and
they ignored them or the maillist simply does not exists/work.
We sent mail to the website admins, asking them to provide us direct email
contact of the "author", and remove the download link until he fixes credits.
They didn't replied.
Next day we were more upset and Gabucino put out that well-known NEWS entry.
I've seen it and said "it's ok", I didn't think of such reaction.
(yes, it was a bit(?) rude, but is code stealing a good thing???)

Their REACTION:
They immediately came out from the darkness, and started to flame us at every
forums because of that news entry. Nothing about the code stealing. Just
flamed us. Later they started to say: it is not mplayer port, just 2 libs of
mplayer were used and it's a totally different project contributed by
russian coders. They also mentioned that A-V sync code is not from mplayer,
it's their own new code.

My REACTION:
I told them that:
- our primary problem is the missing credits. the missing source is just
secondary, and legal problem.
- i asked them _AGAIN_ to fix their page and show info about mplayer
relations and other stuff used in that.

Their REACTION:
flame again about NEWS. Nothing about our "wishes".
they started to send russian language mails for us and to their list.
they started to flame on mplayer-users list and slashdot too.

Their REACTION Next day (friday afternoon):
they finally released the sources, and afaik (i couldn't check as it was
OS/2 installer EXE) they fixed documentation of the project.
there is a simple _link_ to mplayer site now, not mentioning how wvision
based on mplayer or related to it. bad, but it's ok for _me_, i doubt they
will ever do more. also note that distributing mplayer code in binary form
is still prohibited...

Our REACTION:
as soon as we downloaded the source, we started to check what did he
really do. he did what we thought before. ported mplayer by
removing/disabling half of code and hacking in os/2 audio/video out.
he even keept my own A-V sync code from mplayer (compare wvision.cpp to
mplayer.c) while stating everywhere that it's their code. he used the core
of mplayer, so it's much more than "just 2 libs from mplayer".

Ok. then TODO follows:

OS2.ru guys:
- clean up credits/copyright stuff on the homepage, add which code is
"borrowed" from which project. (ASAP)
- send patches for mplayer... (only if you want to cooperate)

Gabucino: please ASAP remove all news entries related to it, and put up this
mail. ask me if you disagree or want to change/remove/extend something.

Nick and others: please think it over again. do you still think
that _WE_ARE_THE_BAD_GUYS_ ???

*.cvsusers: please add your changelog, name and email to files you ever
touched. also add under which license you release that changes.
(do not include that 2-page GPL banner. it's just waste of space)
we should fix copyright messages in the files, to be able to see: where to
go. keep GPL? keep multiple licenses (and source-only distrib) ? change
license to something else? maybe BSD + LGPL ?


A'rpi / Astral & ESP-team

--
mailto:arpi at thot.banki.hu
http://esp-team.scene.hu