Comments on: Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts http://www.robweir.com/blog/2006/11/beware-of-geeks-bearing-gifts.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beware-of-geeks-bearing-gifts Thinking the unthinkable, pondering the imponderable, effing the ineffable and scruting the inscrutable Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:20:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rob http://www.robweir.com/blog/2006/11/beware-of-geeks-bearing-gifts.html#comment-194 Rob Sun, 03 Dec 2006 20:41:00 +0000 http://www.robweir.com/blog/2006/11/beware-of-geeks-bearing-gifts.html#comment-194 Apple's Human Interface Guidelines are <a href="http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/" rel="nofollow">here</a><br /><br />I don't see any licensing restrictions there. Can you point me to what you had in mind? Or was this some earlier historic issue with the Apple guidelines?<br /><br />In any case, at least you can look at and read the Apple guidelines. But Microsoft's, you can't even see there guidelines until you agree to their license. As they say in the license, "The Design Guidelines are Microsoft’s confidential information. As long as they remain confidential, you cannot disclose them to anyone else without Microsoft’s prior written approval." <br /><br />Even scarier is this in their FAQ's:<br /><br />"<b>What happens if the component vendor “improves” upon the behavior of the new Office UI? Microsoft may not update the new Office UI for another 3 years, but users may give feedback to component vendor or ISV that might result in some difference in implementation. Do they have to implement what they perceive to be a design flaw?</b> <br />The Design Guidelines have required portions that must be implemented to be in compliance with the license. The Design Guidelines also contain statements about permissible extensions that are not explicitly covered by the guidelines."<br /><br />So, the Guidelines, which you cannot read until you agree to the license, have additional terms inside them that may restrict your ability to extend the UI. I'll call this the "Medusa Clause", since it shows that these UI Guidelines are not safe even safe to look at. Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines are here

I don’t see any licensing restrictions there. Can you point me to what you had in mind? Or was this some earlier historic issue with the Apple guidelines?

In any case, at least you can look at and read the Apple guidelines. But Microsoft’s, you can’t even see there guidelines until you agree to their license. As they say in the license, “The Design Guidelines are Microsoft’s confidential information. As long as they remain confidential, you cannot disclose them to anyone else without Microsoft’s prior written approval.”

Even scarier is this in their FAQ’s:

“What happens if the component vendor “improves” upon the behavior of the new Office UI? Microsoft may not update the new Office UI for another 3 years, but users may give feedback to component vendor or ISV that might result in some difference in implementation. Do they have to implement what they perceive to be a design flaw?
The Design Guidelines have required portions that must be implemented to be in compliance with the license. The Design Guidelines also contain statements about permissible extensions that are not explicitly covered by the guidelines.”

So, the Guidelines, which you cannot read until you agree to the license, have additional terms inside them that may restrict your ability to extend the UI. I’ll call this the “Medusa Clause”, since it shows that these UI Guidelines are not safe even safe to look at.

]]> By: peterk http://www.robweir.com/blog/2006/11/beware-of-geeks-bearing-gifts.html#comment-193 peterk Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:45:00 +0000 http://www.robweir.com/blog/2006/11/beware-of-geeks-bearing-gifts.html#comment-193 <i>So once you accept this license, Microsoft can pretty much jerk you around whenever they want. I've seen terms like this before when licensing redistributable code modules. But has anyone seen this for merely following someone's UI guidelines?</i><br /><br />Try reading Apple's Human Interface Guidelines .... So once you accept this license, Microsoft can pretty much jerk you around whenever they want. I’ve seen terms like this before when licensing redistributable code modules. But has anyone seen this for merely following someone’s UI guidelines?

Try reading Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines ….

]]> By: Rob http://www.robweir.com/blog/2006/11/beware-of-geeks-bearing-gifts.html#comment-187 Rob Tue, 28 Nov 2006 19:06:00 +0000 http://www.robweir.com/blog/2006/11/beware-of-geeks-bearing-gifts.html#comment-187 That's certainly possible. But I'm not so worried about the "excluded" clause, since, as you say, the Add-in is not an Office competitor. But what about the sub-license clause? Since Microsoft has not been upfront with what patents they claim to have in this area, how can we be sure the Add-in does not infringe? <br /><br />Keep in mind also that all Microsoft API's -- here and elswhere -- are provided under license and they come with terms. Nothing is unrestricted and free. That’s certainly possible. But I’m not so worried about the “excluded” clause, since, as you say, the Add-in is not an Office competitor. But what about the sub-license clause? Since Microsoft has not been upfront with what patents they claim to have in this area, how can we be sure the Add-in does not infringe?

Keep in mind also that all Microsoft API’s — here and elswhere — are provided under license and they come with terms. Nothing is unrestricted and free.

]]> By: hAl http://www.robweir.com/blog/2006/11/beware-of-geeks-bearing-gifts.html#comment-186 hAl Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:22:00 +0000 http://www.robweir.com/blog/2006/11/beware-of-geeks-bearing-gifts.html#comment-186 The ODF add-in does not fall under that UI license. <br />It is an add-in for within office, not an application using the office UI. If you change the Office toolbars using standard office API calls that is still using the Office UI not copying it in another application The ODF add-in does not fall under that UI license.
It is an add-in for within office, not an application using the office UI. If you change the Office toolbars using standard office API calls that is still using the Office UI not copying it in another application

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