In light of the accomplishments of contests like the X-Prize http://www.xprize.org/
, the space race (Russia vs. America), all competitive racing, and any other competition to foster the effort and ingenuity of a gifted few for all I ask the following. (Competitors always gain from competing)
1. Can we the believers in Open Source, Freeware, and Postcardware organize a contest to benefit all and foster the same level of competition?
2. Can we offer prizes and set contests with simple goals, simple rules?
3. Can we entice even professionals to compete?
4. Can we agree on a name? (my vote is the S-Prize)
A simple set of guidelines for such a competition.
1. All entries at all levels of competition become either freeware or Postcardware as cost of entry.
2. Only prize contributors may beta test.
3. The top three in each category become Open Source.
4. A minimum prize should be available before any contest takes place.
5. All licenses would be user based and of a “mobile” type to allow any license holder to use software anywhere on any computer via removable media or to transfer any installation to a new computer at need.
6. All Freeware and Postcardware could be developed as commercial products by the originators.
7. All Open Source software could be developed by anyone commercially with only changes to source code being protected under software copyright and requiring all commercial developers to note both the Open Source nature of some of their product and detailing its origination in the contest and by the contestant.
My Idea for one competition would be the worlds smallest “fully functional internet/file browser”.
For writing the smallest browser a good choice might be Assembly Language.
A good theme for such a browser contest is “Small is Beautiful” also the name of a program called SIB available as freeware from http://www.grc.com/smgassembly.htm
This program will allow users to write in assembly language.
Open Source = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source
Freeware = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware
Postcardware = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postcardware
The S-Prize
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Zach Thibeau
- Posts: 251
- Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:26 pm
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Uhm
Uhmm, I personally prefer keeping the contest open-source especially the gnu gpl v2 because you can sell the program as long as you provide the source.
Now, i honestly didnt read the whole bit of the first post,
its an interesting idea, but eh,
i dont see where youll get anyone to run it or put up cash for it,
Anyways,
Open Source is great and all, but personally,
if i dont want to provide the code to something then i dont feel i should have to,
and 'blahblahblah my reasons'
IE: they dont matter, its just how i am,
imo, i will say this, from experience, i fricken Hate people who take code youve worked on and claim it as their own, and its the biggest reason id never release code,
(but then again, i have reasons i dont try programing stuff anymore, so meh, its kinda moot, but the point still stands,)
But, i dont think its fair if you exclude people from the contest who put a lot of time into coding a closed source freeware program,
i think the 'postcardware' might be pushing it a little, specially for a contest, but eh,
i wouldnt use anything like that, but thats me,
Anyways,
FASM might also be a good assembler to use:
http://flatassembler.net/
my TPFC submission with other links:
http://portablefreeware.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=9493
it seems to compile more then once to get a smaller size out of the .exe,
least, looks that way to me,
Theres also HLA:
http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/
which was made for people with experience in C and C++ like languages,
and more:
http://www.freeprogrammingresources.com/assemble.html
its an interesting idea, but eh,
i dont see where youll get anyone to run it or put up cash for it,
Anyways,
Open Source is great and all, but personally,
if i dont want to provide the code to something then i dont feel i should have to,
and 'blahblahblah my reasons'
IE: they dont matter, its just how i am,
imo, i will say this, from experience, i fricken Hate people who take code youve worked on and claim it as their own, and its the biggest reason id never release code,
(but then again, i have reasons i dont try programing stuff anymore, so meh, its kinda moot, but the point still stands,
)But, i dont think its fair if you exclude people from the contest who put a lot of time into coding a closed source freeware program,
i think the 'postcardware' might be pushing it a little, specially for a contest, but eh,
i wouldnt use anything like that, but thats me,
Anyways,
FASM might also be a good assembler to use:
http://flatassembler.net/
my TPFC submission with other links:
http://portablefreeware.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=9493
it seems to compile more then once to get a smaller size out of the .exe,
least, looks that way to me,
Theres also HLA:
http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/
which was made for people with experience in C and C++ like languages,
and more:
http://www.freeprogrammingresources.com/assemble.html
freeware opensource or otherwise
Freeware Open-Source or otherwise would be a benefit and anyone organizing a contest should set a set of requirements to bring as many contestants as possible.
Further the contestants would merely be allowed to limit the software to shareware or Postcardware rather than required to license it this way.
The developer and originator would thus be granted the ability to further develop a product, and to do so exclusively as a commercial product while limiting free versions to only those copies of the freeware version. (With open source only we would be “punishing” all commercial developers as well as limiting by this the range and number of competitors)
This would encourage the development of software by those who would otherwise abandon their own efforts leaving software that might never be made useful.
It should also be noted that if a contest were to be held with Open-Source only software would attract only current Open-Source developers and would have little need for a prize.
A prize would be only to spur development and to bring in “new blood.” Or in the programming arena it would be better to say “new code.”
While a open source only contest might be possible it would need higher prizes and more of them than a mixed contest to draw the full range of possible contestants.
[thibeaz: I merged this post with your last one, Next time if you need to add something after you created your post just edit it
]
To fund a contest like this you might just get someone like Google a commercial enterprise to fund it as a method to gain publicity. Further you could announce the range of each of the proposed projects and sell the right to beta test the efforts before the contest would be decided.
The range of Web pages willing to put their names on a project like this would be enormous just use your imagination and think of anyone who is both commercial and who desires the publicity.
Further the contestants would merely be allowed to limit the software to shareware or Postcardware rather than required to license it this way.
The developer and originator would thus be granted the ability to further develop a product, and to do so exclusively as a commercial product while limiting free versions to only those copies of the freeware version. (With open source only we would be “punishing” all commercial developers as well as limiting by this the range and number of competitors)
This would encourage the development of software by those who would otherwise abandon their own efforts leaving software that might never be made useful.
It should also be noted that if a contest were to be held with Open-Source only software would attract only current Open-Source developers and would have little need for a prize.
A prize would be only to spur development and to bring in “new blood.” Or in the programming arena it would be better to say “new code.”
While a open source only contest might be possible it would need higher prizes and more of them than a mixed contest to draw the full range of possible contestants.
[thibeaz: I merged this post with your last one, Next time if you need to add something after you created your post just edit it
]To fund a contest like this you might just get someone like Google a commercial enterprise to fund it as a method to gain publicity. Further you could announce the range of each of the proposed projects and sell the right to beta test the efforts before the contest would be decided.
The range of Web pages willing to put their names on a project like this would be enormous just use your imagination and think of anyone who is both commercial and who desires the publicity.