When you hire someone to program you a small project.. do you ask for source?
 

Or do you pay out right for a "copy of the program"

for some reason,most programmers seem to think thier source code is made out of fuckin gold or something

i ask for source, but they seem to want more for it.......... fuck 'em. i tell them to suck a cock if they dont offer it at the initial job completion

It would depend on your agreement with the developer.
Running a software development company myself we always state in the contract the details about resale/reuse of the application/code for either party.
If the client wants the outright source code for the application they will pay more than a customer whom only wants the application.
Most clients do not care about source as they would not know what to do with it anyways and they want to save money so when we write an application we retain all source and only provide a license for the client to use the software.
If I paid someone to write an application I did not want anyone else to have then I would pay for the source as well. I would include strict wording as to the use of the code since once a developer writes code they can always rewrite it.
It is very hard to prove that one application does not include code from another application.

copy of the program with 'unlimited updates'

generally my feelings are, if I don't get source it's not worth it, as shit changes too much online...if it's a good tool and I don't have source, then you gotta either TAP IT OUT hard and fast if you think the thing will expire soon, or get someone else to either a) crack it or b) clone it.....


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:2 cents: :thumbsup good explanation

If it wasnt requested it isn't implied.

By giving your source code away you are devaluing your product so its essential to know how many products you are selling.. Giving away the source means you cannot control how many of your product is used/sold and what its sold for..

Hey Smokey, can you ICQ me please - 72458277. Thanks.

If shit changes and you didnt have a deal in place to take into account for those changes then too bad..
If i sold a product that stopped working , its useless. I could program shit all day that only lasts a day , but your rep would be dead.. A reputabe person isnt going to sell you a product that simply stops working right after you bought it.. if shit changes more programming needs to be done to fix it , do you think that work is free ??


conclusion , make sure you trust the programmer your dealing with or dont expect much..

..or youll stab em to death eh? ;)

How many of you are doing custom C or C++ apps though? MOST adult needs should be able to be done in perl/php. C if you _really_ need the speed.

So far as releasing c source though, if you pay for an app, you get the source. If you pay for an instance of an app, you get nothing. MAYBE an API document, but only if you can prove you need it.

In other words: if you puy me to write you some specific bit of code for you, I'll give you the soure if you're smart enough to ask me. If I'm selling you something that I've made for commercial use, no deal. Even if I'm using solid licensing modules, I wouldn't release source. Too many assholes who steal shit for thier own.

I have them sign a contract that specifies full ownership of source code and also a NDA. (Non Disclosure agreement) Which simply states they can't take the work done and pawn it off somewhere else or resell this one and whatnot. Also I put in that for one year they can not write any similiar scripts...

Any work of this nature should be done in writing, it's a pain, we all want things done right away, but a contract will give you the edge on getting what you want, get it done, and make sure they don't slack off. I have not been stiffed since going this route and it weeds out the lamers

Do car manufacturers give you a manual on how to assemble a car when you purchase one? Even a customized one? Do chefs give you a recipe when you order something in a restaurant? Does Coca Cola give you their recipe when you buy a bottle of it?

Yes, you should insist on getting the source code.

That's why for a custom made script you pay 1000s of bucks, where a off the shelf script with the same functionality wil cost you 50 bucks, but you should always reach an agreement with the programmer beforehand!!!

Yes. I wouldn't get a program written without agreeing to that upfront.

You are buying a tangible item from those companies. Programming you are paying someone for their time to build something to your specifications. It's a collaboration between you and your ideas / money, and the programmers time and skill. If its a pre-made program then no I don't want the code.

it all depends on the licenses.