New Message: Re: Who can be hosted on Frontier and Manila

[Scott Granneman]

webmaster at userland.com wrote:
> A new message was posted:
> 
> Address: http://manila.userland.com/discuss/msgReader$1028
> 
> By: Steve Kirks (steve at userland.com)
>
> ... Primarily, the license is designed to encourage people to talk to UserLand first before they buy Manila and set up a weblog hosting service.

Why should we have to?

When was the license changed to this language of YOU MAY & YOU MAY NOT? 
Is this new for 9.5? Or has it always been this way?

I frankly find it distasteful that UserLand is seeking to limit their 
own customers' use of their software in this way.

Look at the license (comments inserted inline):

"YOU MAY:

Use the Software on any single computer for your internal use only;

-----> This is an unreasonable limitation. This is software that creates 
web sites. That is its main purpose. To limit Manila like this guts the 
software, & is unfair to users.

Copy the Software for archival purposes, provided any copy must contain 
all of the original Software's proprietary notices;

YOU MAY NOT:

Unless expressly consented to by UserLand, permit third parties or other 
individuals to use the Software except under the terms listed above;

-----> Why should my business, which has been using UserLand software 
for over 4 years now to host web sites, have to ask UserLand's 
permission to host web sites? That's why we started using Manila in the 
first place!

Permit concurrent use of the Software by any third party;

-----> Ditto.

Use the Software in any manner to provide a service bureau, 
time-sharing, hosted application service or other computer services 
providing the end-user benefits of the Software for any third party;

-----> Ditto.

Modify, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble (except to 
the extent applicable laws specifically prohibit such restriction), or 
create derivative works based on the Software; ..."

-----> So how are plugins seen? Aren't those in violations of this 
particular item in the license?

I agree with the question asked in the other email: what is UserLand's 
view of its customers? Are they trying to benefit us or control us? Do 
they now view any other company using Manila to host web sites as a threat?

Basically, as I read this license, at any time UserLand could decide 
that my company is a threat, and forbid us to use its software, thereby 
gutting our business.

I started using Manila over 4 years ago because I trusted the company 
and its software. I thought UserLand was selling software that was 
designed to help its customers do whatever they legally wanted to do 
with its software.

It looks like UserLand now sees its customers as potential threats to be 
tightly controlled. I can think of NO OTHER software company that 
requires its users to call them to ask permission to use the software in 
the way in which it was originally intended to be used. Not even 
Microsoft does that.

I'd say it's a shame, but it's way beyond that.

Scott

-- 
R. Scott Granneman
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