Class Plan

Software Licenses

Panel discussion question preparation and writeup (due 10/25 at midnight - MyCourses)
Final exam conflicts.
Understand differences of various software licenses.
Classwide discussion on each of these licenses.
Choose a license for your team.

Software Licenses

Not all software licenses are created equal. Some give more authority/control to the end user, while others retain more control for developer(s). Choosing the proper license for you project can drastically alter the trajectory of your project, including how it is adopted, its pricing model and who contributes to the project's development. As an end user, the license significantly dictates how you may use the software. Some of which include if you may edit/access the source code, how many computers you can install it on and so forth. Today's class will provide you exposure to understanding how software license models work. During the activity, your team is expected to do some of your own research.

Understand differences of various software licenses.

The first step is to understand the differences among various software licenses. In your project team, address the following questions/topics, and be prepared to discuss these as a class.

What does having a "patent" mean? What authority does it provide for the developing organization and the end user?
What does 'Open Source' mean? What authority does it provide for the developing organization and the end user?
What types of 'Open Source' licenses are there?
Does open source inherently mean that it will be of better or worse quality?
What are some popular 'Open Source' applications?
What are some ways that open source applications generate revenue?
As a team, discuss whether or not you think that there will be more or fewer proportion of future software that is considered Free and open-source software' (FOSS). Justify your answer.

Classwide Discussion

Next, we will discuss what you learned about the various software licenses. Your instructor will lead a class-wide discussion on these items. Be prepared to be called upon and discuss your findings from the previous step.

Choose a license for your team

You will next select a license for your team's project. When choosing a license, you should consider:

How it will impact your target audience.
How it will impact your business model.
What are the advantages and disadvantages offered under this license for your software project.
What are some reasonable alternatives you could choose, and why does your chosen license provide benefits over these alternatives.
How you envision your target audience using your software under this model (You can assume that your project would used outside of the 101 class - in the general community).

In a well-written report comprising several paragraphs, address these questions/issues and justify why you selected the license that you did.

Submission Information

As a team, submit your report to the "Software license" area of Mycourses as a pdf.
Individual: Five panel questions.

Do not not forget to read the Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice (both short and long versions) BEFORE next class.