[mythtv] Paid for Plugin dev?

[Chris Pinkham]

* On Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 09:04:17AM +0100, Mr. Demeanour wrote:
> Isaac Richards wrote:
>> into the main myth source, the server side will need to be:
>>  a) open source
>>  b) run on mythtv.org
>
> While I appreciate the intent behind this remark, I think there is
> actually a certain amount of implicit conflict between those two
> requirements.
>
> i) If it's open-source, then presumably anyone can run it on their own
> server. Would there be some attempt to prevent this? How might that
> be possible?

We don't want to prevent other people from running it.  The reason for
the two comments above by Isaac are that we want it to be an open
standard and something that we can control, not a potential fly-by-night
service that is gone next month.  We already have a services.mythtv.org
which could be used to host this.

> ii) What about the client software? Could that not be pointed at any
> server the user chose?

The 'client software' would be mythfrontend itself.  That's Isaac's
point that this feature would need to be more tightly integrated than
the current plugin architecture allows.  The code would have to exist
inside mythfrontend.  I don't think that there are any issues with
allowing a setting to point to any recommendations engine, it's
something I already mentioned to Erich as being a desired feature.
The user gains the most by looking at the largest amount of data,
but we can be flexible if they only want to look at recommendations
based on a group of users running their own server.

> It's at odds with the principles of open source to try to control or
> restrict the use people make of software.

Sometimes you have to control things.  Another reason is that we don't
want a feature added to Myth just to use someone's proprietary external
service to make them money, and before anyone says it, Schedules Direct
is a different beast.  Control in the recommendations engine case is
also for consistency.  We know that mythtv.org isn't going away anytime
soon, while www.joes-recommendation-engine.org might.  I'm sure there
are other reasons that I haven't mentioned, but it's 7:30AM on a
Saturday so I have an excuse. :)

--
Chris