Author Topic: OpenSource Hardware, Software and Firmware  (Read 570 times)

helge

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OpenSource Hardware, Software and Firmware
« on: July 17, 2016, 03:27:03 pm »
As promised at the Kickstarter campaign with a personal message to me on Jul 12 2014 that you'll publish all code and all the hardware designs.
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Yes it would be open source and you can write custom firmware. We will publish all our code and all the hardware designs.

Furthermore you stated that again as an update#2 on Jun 28 2014.
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Open Source! We have decided to make McThings completely open source! This includes the Hardware, Software and Firmware! All the APIs will be documented and open.

Now I have to read in another thread a post by mc-T2 on Jul 15, 2016 http://mcthings.createaforum.com/mc-studio/load-program-in-multiple-mc-modules/msg547/#msg547 the following:
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mc-Studio - We will not be releasing the source for mc-Studio.


That said the commitment to open source was the main reason for backing your project and - again I'm disappointed. Please reconsider your current decision, stand by what you've said and make the platform open source as promised.

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« Last Edit: August 12, 2016, 05:39:45 pm by mc-T2 »

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helge

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Re: OpenSource Hardware, Software and Firmware
« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2016, 12:52:16 pm »
Can I please get an official statement regarding the Open Source status?

mc-Hammer

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Re: OpenSource Hardware, Software and Firmware
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2016, 07:20:08 pm »
Hi Helge,

Apologies for the tardy reply.

Unfortunately during and after the Kickstarter campaign we were faced with some tough choices. We had hoped to keep things completely open but unfortunately there were some choices that conflicted with keeping things open.

1. Security. In order to provide very robust enterprise level security we could not open up significant parts of the firmware. These security methods and implementations are still being worked on and should be rolled out Q4 of this year. Some of the security provisions are already on all modules delivered so it will be a seamless changeover

2. Investment. In order to make the project last, be something with continued support, and honestly be something good we needed outside investment. Investors are simply very hesitant to put down any kind of money without IP being protected. For this reason, along with security and a few other thing, we had to keep the source closed. It was either letting delivering something that was not very good and letting it die or closing the sources and getting investment to keep going.

3. More powerful mc-Script. mc-Script has become significantly more powerful than initially planned. The vast majority of applications written directly to the hardware can also be written in mc-Script. This makes open sourcing the firmware less beneficial.
 
We did not take any of these choices lightly and we believe that doing this was in the best interest of our backers. We are still making our APIs open. As suggested by another user we are also creating a centralized github organization to share scripts.

Thanks again for your support and please let us know if you have any other questions or suggestions. We look at them all seriously,

Regards,

-Tom-
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helge

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Re: OpenSource Hardware, Software and Firmware
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2016, 11:59:19 am »
Hi Tom,

thanks for the clarification. Now I'm speechless, more than disappointed, upset and some other things which I won't post here.

I've thought about it for the last few days since you confirmed that software/hardware open source is not going to happen. In my opinion mc-Things does not act trustfully, you've promised too much and kept this information hidden from your supporting users until now. As mentioned within the direct messages on kickstarter it was and is a key argument for me to support this project and even more, to invest more money. I'm sure it was much more than the average. 

I do understand your decision regarding the investment, but it's your responsibility to arrange the requirements of your company and the promises made to your customers at the funding campaign. How you did that isn't truly honest.

Right now I cannot use the mc-things platform for my needs, just because you closed all doors and I cannot add the needed functionality by myself. What offends me much more is the fact that I can't even try to completely reprogram the firmware by myself, because you don't provide any schematics of the hardware in addition to the fact that I can't even get the mc-Module firmware back on those reprogrammed modules. Brilliant.

Really sad.
Helge

mc-Hammer

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Re: OpenSource Hardware, Software and Firmware
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2016, 05:35:53 pm »
Helge,

You're absolutely right that at least the hardware needs to be open in order for it to be useful. In my last message this completely slipped my mind. I will be posting the schematic for the mc-Mod110, mc-Mod120 and mc-Dev on the forum today and we will be putting it on the website next week.

Apologies for the bad communications.

On another note we just released a new OTA updater that should be able to recover your device.

As always, let us know if you have any further questions or comments.

Regards,

-Tom-

helge

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Re: OpenSource Hardware, Software and Firmware
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2016, 12:42:32 pm »
And what about the schematics for the gateway and the dongle?

mc-Hammer

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Re: OpenSource Hardware, Software and Firmware
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2016, 11:55:45 am »
The purpose of the gateway and dongle is very specific. We will not be publishing schematics for these devices because normal use does not require require this information.
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helge

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Re: OpenSource Hardware, Software and Firmware
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2016, 01:16:26 pm »
Tom,

that's simply very unfair.

@Software:
Ok, I can live with your decision to close down the source code. I'm not really happy with that, but I accept it.
It's a pity because I wanted to add features to your platform, which you told me that wouldn't be added or are not planned at all.

@Hardware:
Now I want to make use at least of the hardware, not with your closed source because I don't want to support a proprietary solution which is completely useless for my needs. May I kindly remember you that you've also promised to make the hardware open source at the Kickstarter campaign. At the moment every sentence published there is not true anymore. The current status has nothing to do with the "reward" you've promised there.

Well, how would you feel in my situation?

Regards,
Helge