Ethical use of view source?

[Freeman]

Is it ok to or ethical to view a web pages script and take what you want from it? I found a site with some really cool scripts that I want to use and wonder if I should. What would you do? JF

[Sikky]

why dont you ask the author and credit him afterwards.

[chovy]

exactly....simply cut-n-pasting someone else's code into your own because you can't write your own, or don't have the time would be unethical.

[Twey]

Personally, I'd say this was a victimless crime -- the author isn't losing anything by your taking the scripts, so there shouldn't be anything unethical about it. Unfortunately, the philosophical arena is somewhat divided in this area, and the legal opinion, at least in Britain (see Operation Spanner), is that victimless crimes are still unethical (and thus, illegal).

Of course, it's the author's views that matter the most (although the RIAA might disagree ). Email him and ask if he'd mind.

[djr33]

Source code, like content, is copyrighted by default, by US, and other (British, it seems) country's copyright law.

You cannot just copy it.

I like looking at source for examples of things, like, for example, a particular tag that I'm not used to... I can see what it does.

So... learning from source is great.

But just copying isn't.

Anything that is obviously/noticably copied is bad. For example, if you're just copying a link tag, there's no issue, even though it IS technically copyrighted.

[thetestingsite]

Me personally, if i see a website that has some types of code (that can be viewed in source) and I don't know how to do it, I will copy, and post it on my home computer simply to learn by it. Then after learning, I would make a modified copy of it using "from-scratch" coding methods to make a similar finished product (if that makes sense). I would not put a code that I "stole" from a website on a publically viewable site. Just not right in my book. (Just my two cents worth)

[djr33]

Exactly.

Learning from examples = ok.
Copying directly to your site = not ok.

Note that "learning" doesn't mean memorizing/retyping

[Freeman]

I am not copying it directly to my site. I would take the navigation. If and when I do copy it, it will take me probably a few days to get it to do what I want it to do. I would find a script here in dynamic but I could find one that does what I need it to. If they can't really tell that it was from there site, even legally they couldn't really do anything. I don't think its unethical. I think that if it was horribly important to them they would at least put in the source that they want you to ask them before you can use it. I personally don't care if someone takes my scripts that I write for their own use. JF

[boxxertrumps]

exactly....simply cut-n-pasting someone else's code into your own because you can't write your own

Thats for Myspace users.

[mwinter]

If they can't really tell that it was from there site, even legally they couldn't really do anything.

Are you trying to rationalise theft?

I don't think its unethical.

Your opinion doesn't really matter: it is unethical to steal someone else's work.

I think that if it was horribly important to them they would at least put in the source that they want you to ask them before you can use it.

Why? Surely the default position should be that no-one can take something from someone else unless they are given explicit permission.

I personally don't care if someone takes my scripts that I write for their own use.

Good for you. Other people do care.

Mike