Now here's a topic....

[JoeCD]

After posting that last message, I figured this would make an interesting topic http://www.aota.net/ubb/smile.gif

What does everyone think of source code lifting? I think everyone has looked at source at one time or another. Is it good to "borrow"? Do any of you take any measures to try and hide it? I've seen some sites that bunch it all up somehow.

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Joe

[Justin]

I used to bunch mine up, but since I 'borrowed' most of mine, I guess there's no reason to!

I learned HTML strictly by viewing source. Once I got the basics down, if I saw a cool trick on a page, I would view source and save it, figure it out, then use it.

I see nothing really wrong with it, it's not like reverse engineering a shareware program, it's sort of like open source. I mean, if you don't want people to see / borrow it, don't post it, or find other ways to do things, like using CGI or something.

I know some people hate it, though, but I'll admit that that's how I learned (and am still learning) javascript and other stuff.


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Justin Nelson, SFE Inc.
http://www.vdj.net

[meikel]

Hi,

it's not possible to hide the sourcecode for a web-page, but you can try.
I've seen a nice trick. Someone made the first line of his sourcecode
<!-- THIS CODE IS PROTECTED AND HIDDEN -->
Then he added around 100 CRLF so that any text editor does not show any working code in the first editor page.

There was a longer discussion on how these people hid their code on some newsgroup until someone found out that the only needed thing is to scroll down http://www.aota.net/ubb/smile.gif

Greetings from Bonn, Germany
[nbsp][nbsp]Meikel Weber
http://www.tickerland.com

[zeegraf]

What does everyone think of source code lifting? I think everyone has looked at
source at one time or another. Is it good to "borrow"? Do any of you take any measures to try and hide it? I've seen some sites that bunch it all up somehow.

There's several shareware and freeware utilities that can compact your cource code... I think just about anyone who designs websites has borrowed snippets of code from one site or the other. Personally, I see nothing wrong with it, so long as you're not ripping off the site's entire look.



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Don Z.
www.zeegraf.com (http://www.zeegraf.com)

"To poldly mow air moebius
gumby four" --Kirk on Novacaine

[hearts]

well.. i personally don't see anything wrong with it.. cuz like Justin said.. I learned from viewing source codes. And besides.. there is nothing really to steal.. unless it is a special graphic.. but if we started concerning ourselves with being selfish about the codes, then online woud not be as fun and social as it is. http://www.aota.net/ubb/wink.gif

Besides.. style is in the talent of the author.

and as for bunching up all the code... i usually edit from wsftp.. and it is a pain in the *you know what* to have to edit that.. and why not help others learn?

seems when people start learning how to do things on their own.. and get pretty good at it.. then they start worrying about this kinda stuff.. but I am sure most of us learned basically the same way.. nothing is as good as the "right click of the mouse* http://www.aota.net/ubb/wink.gif

UNLESS of course they are stealing your entire page.. there are annoying things you can do about that. hehehe

I wonder how many can say.. they haven't borrowed a code to learn?

[pqwabbit]

well coding is no big secret - i mean if you want to learn code you can by books you can look uptutorials - basically everyone uses the same basic codes - asome peole may know some more advanced tricks and since you can probaly learn those tricks elsewdree adn its already public ddomain - like i dont see a prtoblem with viewing peole's source code -
ther just a fine line between 'borrowin' code if there is such a thing - and borrowing whole piwces of a webpage - including graphics and text - now that is outand out plagerism - ots original work - code is well code everyone uses code - code nees to be used to make a webpage -


we learned lots of coding from veiwing source files - then you get top see it in action- oh so that how it works but your not really steaeling anything sicecode itself doenst really belond anyone to begin with

however if i were to comehow find the code for say this board and pirate it and use it on my site - that wouldbe not kewl -
esswentially i'd be stewaling a script someone owns -
howver if i looked at the coode and learned just howq comands work then wehntadn built my own origianl work using -thats not really steakling.

im confused now hahah

but basically uh no its not unkewl to view the source and learn form it or even copy adn paste a command to save yoi time - just so long as you dont steal the original partsdof the page - the text and graphics etc


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Lea
Massachusetts Rabbit Rescue
http://www.RabbitRescue.org

[Deb]

I agree.... with all of you http://www.aota.net/ubb/wink.gif

Yes, you can get lil programs to make it a mess to view.. but I doubt it's worth it.

I call it 'learning by example' http://www.aota.net/ubb/smile.gif

If it is code used that is truly unique to your creativity put a <-- copyrite --> on it.. ALWAYS make sure to include your URL with that notice http://www.aota.net/ubb/smile.gif

I often times just get real verbose with my code if I want to try and assure 'my mark' is on it if borrowed... for example.. when I was doing web design for a living I would make sure to add comments everywhere (if I knew another designer would be taking over) Including my URL and notes all over it. I would also MAKE SURE every a href had a 'title' and every image had a good alt tag in it etc... for 'blank' images like we often use for spaces I would give them alt tags like "created by" etc...

Making my code a real pita to edit hehe

But bottom line... It can boost your pride a bit if you know someone liked your creativity so much they wanted to learn from it. The net is a medium for free information.. we need to hold onto that as much as we can.

It's no secret that we strongly believe in OPEN SOURCE software http://www.aota.net/ubb/smile.gif

http://io.incluso.com

Deb