FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy

Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2004 @ 15:54:09 UTC in Opinion
by Raven

UNBELIEVABLE!

Here is a direct quote from Franco Burzi, the current keeper of phpnuke, from his phpnuke.org 'club' site

"NOTE: Being a member doesn't give right to you to receive technical support. PHP-Nuke is distributed AS IS without warranty and without technical support. Any technical support email will be ignored."

Have you seen the new site? Read his new policy on releases? Read on for the entire 'announcement' lifted verbatim, from his front page.Franco Burzi writes: "Hello Nukers! Welcome to the new phpnuke.org! This is the result of many hours of dedicated work in the last week. Not only there is a new theme but there is a totaly new server, a Dell Dual Xeon 2.4 Ghz with 2GB Ram, DRAC card, 2 SCSI hard disks, etc... there is also another server for backups purpouses. This was a big investment for me but I'm sure that all this will be added value to the project.

What you see is a new exclusive theme (no, it isn't available for download). This theme called Portal-Pro is the result of many hours of work, but it was fun to do it. Note that I didn't touch a bit of modules or core system's code to have this result, it's just the theme.php file who makes all. This can be a perfect example to show the world that PHP-Nuke's themes system has big power and is 100% customizable. I had the idea to change or re-write the news module to have a similar result, but after realized what I got with a single file in the theme, I must admit that there isn't need to change the news module.

The design, logo, general images also changed as you already noticed. In fact I think that this gives to PHP-Nuke a totaly different image from the previous one. Hope you like it.

This version of PHP-Nuke is 7.2. At this time I'm coding, checking changes, cleaning, etc. this code that will be available soon.

Comments on News and Surveys are up and runing again. Forums are also back, use it and enjoy this great community!

In the next few days I'll be catching bugs in this theme, fixing if needed and cleaning some stuff. Old comments will be restored soon also.

The new distribution model is the result after viewing some other open source companies and their activities to have incomes and stay alive. When a new version of PHP-Nuke goes to the Club, the old one will be released to the public at the same time. So, the Club will carry always the latest version available, that will be distributed for free when a new version goes out. This is a manner to maintain the incomes from the Club. The Club is the biggest income of PHP-Nuke, remember that the future development of this software should be finnanced in some way and this is my only work. Even if the Club never reached my expectations, I'm happy with how it's working. The support that any club's member gives when registering is the only warranty to stay alive developing this great software and evolving day by day. To all you: thank you!!!

The last point is that the Club's content sucks at this time. The latest version of PHP-Nuke isn't enought in change for your continous support. So, I'm collecting addons, blocks and themes and soon there will be a BIG database of resources in the Club. This can take some time because the material collected until now is VERY BIG and one by one should be tested against the latest version.

Due to licensing (TOC) problems with SourceForge and the company behing it, in a few days I'll move all the files to the new server and will forget sf.net forever. even if some parts of their services sucks, they was a nice support when my bandwidth was low, you should know what happens to the bandwidth when a file of 6MB is downloaded 80,000 times per month! Now I have bandwidth to host the file for my own and get rid of SF.

In the news submission section I receive lot of crap... I mean LOT. So I decided to start it from scratch and the module is now for registered users only. If you sent a news about any addon, theme, module, block, community, etc. and didn't saw it published, please, PLEASE resend it, hope that with this method I can filter the garbage and start publishing what really matter for the project.

Well... it's all for now... Hope you like it and enjoy this work... This site is yours, it's your home... Thanks for your attention and have a great day!"
 
 
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Re: FB's New Release And Support Policy (Score: 1)
by Raven on Saturday, March 13, 2004 @ 16:01:25 UTC

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I am beside myself here with the audacity of this. Look at this quote:

"The last point is that the Club's content sucks at this time. The latest version of PHP-Nuke isn't enought in change for your continous support. So, I'm collecting addons, blocks and themes and soon there will be a BIG database of resources in the Club. This can take some time because the material collected until now is VERY BIG and one by one should be tested against the latest version."

Do you get it? He is 'collecting' (whatever that means) addons, blocks, themes, and then they will be for club members only, e.g. $10/month!!!! Taking GPL code - your code - my code and then turning around and charging for it!!! Tell you what. if nothing else this would cause me to change the licensing on my stuff to allow its use but not GPL for FB to 'collect'. UNBELIEVABLE

Re: FB's New Release And Support Policy (Score: 1)
by 64bitguy
on Saturday, March 13, 2004 @ 20:17:22 UTC
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So much for "public domain". Looks like we'll all have to write to GNU and get some exact phrasing on how to prevent pay-for-view sites from warehousing our code. If I wanted to sell it, I would. I'm sure as heck not happy about someone copying my code just so they have a reason to justify charging $10.00 a month for access to THEIR site; nevermind the fact that I don't charge for anything and I don't even have ANY ads on my site (unlike phpnuke.org) I'm also glad to see him (finally) admit that new versions of PHP-Nuke aren't released 30-days after they come out on the club site, but rather NOT until the NEXT version comes out to the club members. Meaning.. 7.1 was supposed to be available long before now. Instead, we have to wait until the 7.2 (which I'm assuming fixes some of the many bugs in 7.1) hits the club. I dunno.. I thought this was going to be a great Open Source solution, but in the last 60 days, it's starting to look more like SharePoint, and the author is starting to sound more like Steve Ballmer... Which really freaks me out.

Re: FB's New Release And Support Policy (Score: 1)
by Raven
on Saturday, March 20, 2004 @ 19:18:21 UTC
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Was I right on or what? Look at this post">this thread at nukescripts.com.

Re: FB's New Release And Support Policy (Score: 1)
by southern
on Saturday, March 20, 2004 @ 20:47:40 UTC
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Right as rain. I'm not gonna credit a thief on my site, nor anyone I don't respect. Enjoy Huntsville, FB, if you're caught in Texas. :)

 
 

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by afc on Saturday, March 13, 2004 @ 20:41:19 UTC

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One more reason to hate FB he a complete jerk, he uses the community for support and does not want to credit them for it. He releases 1 buggy version after another.

That why i always waited to upgrade to next version.

He get security fixes and does not add them to next release.

Because of the way he loosing support let and right. Make a list of people who are pissed at FB, hehe forget that it take me forever.

Raven and chatserv go ahead with your plan to make a secure nuke.

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by Raven
on Sunday, March 14, 2004 @ 16:37:25 UTC
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FB has already gone back to his old tricks! AFC's first post has been removed. How sad and so typical of that site.

 
 

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by scottr on Saturday, March 13, 2004 @ 22:48:09 UTC

(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.ierealtor.com

Think about this FB quote
The Club is the biggest income of PHP-Nuke

Therefore he will do whatever to add more value to the Club.

I'm no business major, but it seems to me that businesses
focus on their best revenue stream.
It makes sense that he would do something along those lines.

Even though FB will probably piss off a bunch of people
when they find out he is making money off their code in the Club.


 
 

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by money on Saturday, March 13, 2004 @ 23:46:01 UTC
  
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You all are very funny. Didn't any of you ever read the GPL? What he plans to do is okay under this license. Anyone can build a repository of other people's GPL code and charge an access fee, support fee, or whatever other name he wasnts to call it. GPL does not mean free in cost but free as in users can do whatever their little hearts desire with the code as long as they keep the copyright inside the files. The GNU in fact encourages people to charge money even if they didn't write any of it.

Those of you who are mad because he plans to make money off all your work are showing your ignorance. You are the ones who picked the license. It's no one else's fault you didn't take the time to read and comprehend its meaning. If you don't want others making money off your hard work, then either don't release it or use another license. Derivative works of GPL though must be released under a GPL compatible license.

For the record, I do not like others making money off of other people's work either. You all picked the license and should accept the consequences for your decision.

 
 

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by sixonetonoffun on Saturday, March 13, 2004 @ 23:55:24 UTC

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I think it’s a shame he found a reason to NOT rewrite the News module. NOT re structure the theme engine.

The club most likely pulls down some dollars. I doubt there are many private licensed sites since the cost is so outrageous. If he had business sense he would have made the private license more reasonable and actually made some money from it. Right now it’s just a way of telling those of us who were interested to go fly a kite. I remember ZX saying if there was private license he would be the in the front of the line. lol well guess what now that there is and he can't afford it either. I believe FB gets off on all this more then anything.

He must he does this wierd crap often enough.

I wouldn't mind some fee's if the product was stable and well supported. Like Raven said his hosting sells service so he charges a little more then some hosts. FB is not selling his services. He is selling access to his script library and the right to debug new releases.

Slapping everyone in the face who has said "I became a Club member for added service never again!". I've heard that one many times.

I'll keep my CC in my wallet thanks...

 
 

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by Raven on Sunday, March 14, 2004 @ 00:04:11 UTC

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In no way do I resent FB or anyone from making money. And the GPL is not the issue and this isn't about the consequences of our actions or not knowing what we got into.

It's about temper tantrums, isolation, I'm going to quit and go home, oh - I'm back and now here are the changes, I will never again have development partners, no - wait - I have development partners, blah, blah, blah, ad nauseum. Where is the stability? Where is the support? Where is the security? Where is the recognition of all those who really make nuke what it is?

Every 'x' number of weeks/months, as popularity starts to wane at phpnuke.org, the community is hit with"new direction" - "new policy", and so on. That's what it's about, at least with me.

 
 

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by afc on Sunday, March 14, 2004 @ 17:06:44 UTC

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Here is what i posted at phpnuke.org that got deleted

OK everyone lets keep kissing FB ass!!!

the news
"The last point is that the Club's content sucks at this time. The latest version of PHP-Nuke isn't enought in change for your continous support. So, I'm collecting addons, blocks and themes and soon there will be a BIG database of resources in the Club. This can take some time because the material collected until now is VERY BIG and one by one should be tested against the latest version."

The Fact
Do you get it? He is 'collecting' (whatever that means) addons, blocks, themes, and then they will be for club members only, e.g. $10/month!!!! Taking GPL code - your code - my code and then turning around and charging for it!!!

One more reason to hate FB he a complete jerk, he uses the community for support and does not want to credit them for it. He releases 1 buggy version after another.

That why i always waited to upgrade to next version.

He get security fixes and does not add them to next release.

Because of the way he loosing support left and right. Make a list of people who are pissed at FB, hehe forget that it take me forever.

FB you want to see how strong your community is delete all users who have not signed in in 60 days, i bet you will loose 80% of your members.

Removes copyright at bottom of my site to show my disrespect to FB

Here is a team who listens to the community.
Looks to NSN-Nuke for the Future.
http://www.nsnnuke.org/
http://www.nsnaddons.net

 
 

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by southern on Tuesday, March 16, 2004 @ 17:14:03 UTC

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I agree it's unbelievable. Mr. Burzi charges money for an 'exclusive' club yet will provide no support to members, which almost guarantees that they'll need support. He will also collect the work of others that he deems worthy but will give no credit to them. It is actually kind of sad- Burzi has staked his claim to fame 'n fortune on php nuke yet he has done little work on it for a long time. Now that others are moving forward with better portals he hastily refurbishes his version more for the PR image than from any love for nuke. I get the feeling Mr. Burzi doesn't really understand the creation he takes credit for- he probably calls on some santeria gods to guide him in his nuke venture...

 
 

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by southern on Tuesday, March 16, 2004 @ 23:46:35 UTC

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I found some interesting comments at debian-legal about the php nuke copyright/license. Couple links:
http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2003/debian-legal-200302/msg00164.html

http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2003/debian-legal-200302/msg00167.html

Also a small rant by FB in re: removing license/copyright info:

What a shame!

This is the worse thing I saw in many time. A web site called LawMeme which topic is the LAW, copyrights and legal stuff (hosted by the Yale Law School at Yale University) that simply removed the PHP-Nuke copyright notices. I know that some people removes the copyright notice but to see this done by a LAW related site!?!?! This is a call to the those few PHP-Nuke's users that likes to remove the copyrights to think about it and try to respect the hard work that many people did for you. Not to mention that this great system is free. Nothing more... just an advice.

http://www.phpnuke.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=5536


Ahhh... that seems a little funny- whose hard work? :)

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by Guardian2003
on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 @ 16:50:00 UTC
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Who else distributes buggy code and doesnt offer (effective) support?

Who else continues to release security-hole ridden code (despite having these fixed by others)?

How else charges moeny for 'pre-public release' code and doesn' offer any form of support for it?

Who else 'borrows' others code/ ideas and fails to credit them for it?

In case you were thinking I was rambling, I wasn't - has anyone spotted the likeness yet?

Does the name Bill Gates ring any bells?

 
 

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by Raven on Thursday, March 18, 2004 @ 00:26:16 UTC

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It just gets more laughable by the minute. Have you seen this [phpnuke.org] on his site?

Re: FB's New Release And Continued Lack Of Support Policy (Score: 1)
by afc
on Thursday, March 18, 2004 @ 00:56:19 UTC
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that the first time you saw it?

it been up for over a month and i laugh then, popup blocker.

If i want a site for information i goto Nuke Cops, Raven Scripts, Nuke Resourse, NSN not phpnuke.org

 
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