1 Topic by jp

  • jp
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  • Registered: 2007-05-31
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Topic: terms of use clarification

The terms of use and the widget downloading mechanism you've set up seems to be trying to promote free-ware widgets and discourage any sort of "pay for use" widgets.

Since the widgets are sourced from chumby, you clearly have control over that end of it (preventing developers from "selling" widgets), but once deployed, a widget has access to the whole internet.  If a widget were to make use of a web-service, and if said web-service were set up to require user accounts and purchase of said services, would chumby have a problem with that?  In other words, would chumby choose not to make such widgets available to chumby users?

Just trying to understand whether you are just trying to avoid commercial use of your own "Service", or if you are trying to prevent the establishment of any way to make money from chumby software and/or content development.

thanks,
jp

Many people are concerned about the condition of Politics in America today.  What they don't understand is that the Fathers of our Nation were shooting for maximum comedic value.  In that regard, our system of government has only improved with time. -- Mark Twain (if he were alive today and inhabiting my body)

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  • Duane
  • Duane
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Re: terms of use clarification

You are certainly welcome to create widgets that require subscriptions or other payment for use, and I can't think of any reason why we'd choose not to make such a widget public.  However, *we* probably aren't going to build out the infrastructure to maintain that subscription service at our end - it's up to you.

There are already several public third-party widgets that require folks to have accounts on other services - it's a small step to require that users have paying subscriptions on those external services for the widget to access the content.

However, keep in mind that if you make a widget that requires a payment to operate, someone else may create a similar widget that may not require payment, and we're not going to enforce any any sort of exclusivity one way or another.

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3 Reply by jp

  • jp
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Re: terms of use clarification

Duane wrote:

You are certainly welcome to create widgets that require subscriptions or other payment for use, and I can't think of any reason why we'd choose not to make such a widget public.  However, *we* probably aren't going to build out the infrastructure to maintain that subscription service at our end - it's up to you.

As expected.  That makes such a service an entrepreneur opportunity by itself.  Makes it possible to set up a service for developers to charge for use of their widgets...even if no specific licensable content is involved.  That, in turn, makes it practical to be a chumby developer for hire.  Unless a company has a way to charge for widget use, they won't ever pay a developer to develop a widget.

Large companies that want to use chumbys (chumbies?) as some sort of a replacement for computers on an assembly line or for in-store displays, etc. etc. will also want a way to limit access to their widgets, so the common man in the street can't download their proprietary widget and make some nefarious use of it.  Burning it into the device is one way, but not the only way.

Duane wrote:

There are already several public third-party widgets that require folks to have accounts on other services - it's a small step to require that users have paying subscriptions on those external services for the widget to access the content.

Yup.

Duane wrote:

However, keep in mind that if you make a widget that requires a payment to operate, someone else may create a similar widget that may not require payment, and we're not going to enforce any any sort of exclusivity one way or another.

Of course.  I'm looking for captialism, not enforced monopoly.  smile

Thanks!
jp

Many people are concerned about the condition of Politics in America today.  What they don't understand is that the Fathers of our Nation were shooting for maximum comedic value.  In that regard, our system of government has only improved with time. -- Mark Twain (if he were alive today and inhabiting my body)

jp's Website

  • Duane
  • Duane
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Re: terms of use clarification

jp wrote:

Unless a company has a way to charge for widget use, they won't ever pay a developer to develop a widget.

That's not our experience so far - not too many companies are coming to us for help in developing widgets with the goal of creating pay widgets.  Most are treating the chumby as a branding play, or an interesting way to get a representative (and hopefully useful) sample of their content out there as a way to attract folks to their primary service.  I don't think we'll see very many folks that already have subscriptions for access to their content adding another fee for chumby widgets, and a pure pay-to-play widget better have some pretty darn compelling content.

Duane's Website

5 Reply by jp

  • jp
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Re: terms of use clarification

Duane wrote:

a pure pay-to-play widget better have some pretty darn compelling content.

I'm not talking about "the best alarm clock widget in the world".  No doubt there will be dozens to choose from for free.

I'm talking about a serious development effort needed to enable a new use for the device.  Home-control/automation/security is an obvious example of something that would take quite a bit of effort to do it well.  If there is no way to make money from it, nobody will ever go to the trouble to do it well.

I think chumby is really cool, and I'm hoping I can find ways to make money by becoming an expert on the ways of the chumby. 

If not, I'll just buy one and replace my alarm clock with it.  Yawn.

thanks,
jp

Many people are concerned about the condition of Politics in America today.  What they don't understand is that the Fathers of our Nation were shooting for maximum comedic value.  In that regard, our system of government has only improved with time. -- Mark Twain (if he were alive today and inhabiting my body)

jp's Website