Hello all, I’m breaking this off from the main Safe-CMS discussion to publicly tackle an issue I’m torn on.
Below, you can see the most basic, smallest, cheapest to upload default “template” supplied with Safe-CMS (it’s worth mentioning that the vast majority of users will probably opt to create their own templates or edit an existing one to personalise their blog) - obviously, it doesn’t look amazing, the goal of this template is to be as simple and cheap as possible:
At the bottom of the page, I’ve placed a small “Built with SafeCMS” link. The link does no tracking of any kind and is designed only as a way to let people who came across your blog know how it was made, so that they can discover Safe-CMS and start making their own content. Having this button in your template adds only 96 bytes and removing it from your template (and thereby all future posts) takes around 10 seconds (Load the templates list page, click on the currently selected template, remove a single line of HTML, save the template).
With this being said, I’m wary of this being a slippery slope and I don’t want this to lead to any future monetisation attempts or justifications. Obviously, I have a vested interest in this, as the more people who use Safe-CMS, the more Safecoin I will make in developer token rewards, so I’m a biased party.
As such, I thought I would open this up to the community instead of just throwing it in there: what are the communities thoughts on having this advert in the default template?
I feel it should definitely be included in the templates and maybe even ask users that build their own sites to include the “Uploaded with the SAFE-CMS”.
Anything that helps encourage and makes it easier for people to use the SAFE Network is a positive in my eyes.
Another vote for including it - so long as there’s an option to remove it that’s fine. Personally I don’t have a problem with basic trackers (ie page counters) so long as they can be implemented in an anonymous way, but that’s another issue.
I think it is OK what terms you choose, so it’s great you are including the views of others in your decision.
Personally I don’t have a strong view, although I would like the final decision to be mine - which means I would prefer to have the choice to remove the credit. For some things I might leave it, for others I might want to remove it, so having the option makes me more likely to use your product.
I think you should. It is only to point others to a tool that enables freedom of speech. I don’t think in this case it’s necessarily an advert at all. If it’s something that didn’t already enable the content that people are there to consume then I would consider that an advert and would say no thank you but I think this instance is completely harmless if not beneficial to a safenetwork users freedom.
I would say it depends if you plan to paywall the access to the cms. If using the cms is restricted to paying customers, then the message is clearly an ad, and could be percieved as aggressive. If you give out free access to the cms, then it is more a deserved reference to your hard work, a declaration of authorship.
The CMS is (and will be in perpetuity) both open-source and free to use, under an MIT license
It’s worth mentioning that myself and Andy are pledging to do this with every app we build. They will be developed and released in a completely unencumbered fashion, we won’t create crowdsales or ICOs or Patreon accounts, expect people to pay us for access or add any sort of advertisement or other monetization strategy.
The only area I can see us charging in is if someone needed extremely specific support: like they needed us to build an ARM version of the app for a specific operating system, or they wanted us to build them a custom CMS template, or some other thing which is a significant amount of work and doesn’t directly benefit the community.
Feel free to link this to me in the future if you (or anyone else) feels that anyone within my organisation is straying from this path.
How will you earn from your work? Are you depending on ‘pay the producer’ type income from the network?
I’m for the inclusion of a removable visible link to Safe CSM so people can find what the page was made with.
This may be controversial, but I wouldn’t be against an unremovable invisible note in the HTML files generated so that even if the link is invisible people who want to could find their way to Safe CMS.
I’m not looking at this as an avenue to make money. I will be taking “pay the producer” rewards but I’m looking at that as more funding for data usage in the future, I intend to make full use of the SafeNet as a storage layer.
With regards to the invisible note, I’m wary of inflating the size of uploads for no reason - I was already wary of the extra 96 bytes, I’m not sure I want to add more but I like the suggestion (it’s along the right lines).
Awesome idea to make it one-click to those intimidated or unfamiliar with the process. Only comment would be is “built” the universal description? Can it be translated globally? Is there a better/sexier/more efficient description? I don’t know.
IMO this will accelerate use of any template.
Great work @Shane
Really inspiring approach you are taking to building tools on the SAFEnetwork! Engaging the community in your decisions and taking on feedback professionally. Having it in and removable via one click provides choice and empowerment. Glad this has been the decision, it will facilitate more rapid adoption of the tool and the network. Keep the great work coming!
