Re: [Savannah-hackers] I have question about my project

[Vincent Caron]

Dejan Lozanovic wrote:
> The reason why I thing to release library under LGPL is to not force players 
> to give their source code for their thanks I beileve if library is publish 
> uder GPL too that would ruin cometition and fun with game since i beileve 
> that every tank would look the same. 
>
> I'm curious what is your opinion about this,  about decision to publish 
> library under LGPL. 

Hello,

  most hackers here will suggest to use the GPL as much as you can, and 
only keep the LGPL for very special cases. Maybe yours is one of them 
:). The following opinions are only mine and do not reflect a GNU 
official position.

  Your IA competition game looks like an academic challenge, it is an 
emulation that requires two opposite features : some secret, so that the 
game is actually fun, and some knowledge exchange, in order the next 
event starts on higher intelligence grounds, and so on. It looks like a 
card game : you hide your game until the end, but everybody gets to know 
sooner or later what you had in hands, and might learn about your strategy.

  It looks to me like you need temporisation : first players should be 
able to distribute their AI code in an obfuscated form (anyway C looks 
obfuscated for an AI :)), then post the source code a bit later. It is 
also interesting to let the players know that freeing the code is a 
matter of them making an ethical choice, and ask to be fair by releasing 
the code as GPL in a 'reasonable' delay. IMHO it is better that 
individuals make up their mind about choosing the GPL, rather than you 
imposing it. LGPL looks like a good option for your library to me.