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How do I go about putting my software's source code into the public domain?

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dmd7978:
I think it is time for me to put my software, Splinter DC Splinter page , into the public domain. I doubt I am ever going to be able to work on/with it, anymore. I would rather have it expanded upon and be bettered by better folks, than me, then to not due to me wanting to keep the source secret. Maybe some type of "centrallized" location that I would be able to visit and see how it is progressing...  I have no idea how to do this or where to start and I should have done it long ago.

A bit biased I may be, but, SHOCKINGLY, I believe it to be the most powerful/capable desktop interface software, already, and think that if I let it go it will only become better. (would 'have" to, right?)

Any ideas or thoughts or suggestions or critiques of what I am thinking about doing would be appreciated.

Here is a demo vid and a jenky tutorial. They are probably irrelevant for the purpose of this discussion but I don't know what you need to know in order to best advise me, so....





Thanks

KodeZwerg:
Maybe some type of "centrallized" location that I would be able to visit and see how it is progressing...  I have no idea how to do this or where to start and I should have done it long ago.
-dmd7978 (August 19, 2018, 03:09 AM)
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Hello there, you could try www.github.com, there you create an account, prepare a local folder the way the end-user should get.
Like splitted folders for "Source only" and "Binary only" things.
If Third-Party is needed to compile "Source only" to "Binary only" folder on Users Pc, document it.
A readme.txt or similar would also be a good thing to document how all work, what Packages are needed, wich Compilers supported, commandline switches etc etc etc
When everything is prepared and tested by yourself and you are happy to do,
upload everything on GitHub and Publish somewhere, like in here, the GitHub Link. You can set a License for the usage of Source in that upload progress.
Afterward Users have the ability to fork your Source, investigate it, enhance it, giving modifications back to you as a request.
If you write in your Project readme that you will not continue Project, the User with best modifications will then kinda lead Project on his GitHub, but you as the Source are always owner/named with link to your GitHub.

Does that match your request?

dmd7978:
Maybe some type of "centrallized" location that I would be able to visit and see how it is progressing...  I have no idea how to do this or where to start and I should have done it long ago.
-dmd7978 (August 19, 2018, 03:09 AM)
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Does that match your request?
-KodeZwerg (August 19, 2018, 05:10 AM)
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It just may, I will look at github more deeply, thank you.

Tuxman:
There is no "public domain" in most jurisdictions. Unless you want to keep us damn Europeans out, you'd better choose an "explicit Public Domain" license, like the WTFPL. (Which is what I do.)

Nod5:
I think it is time for me to put my software, Splinter DC Splinter page , into the public domain. I doubt I am ever going to be able to work on/with it, anymore. I would rather have it expanded upon and be bettered by better folks, than me, then to not due to me wanting to keep the source secret. Maybe some type of "centrallized" location that I would be able to visit and see how it is progressing... -dmd7978 (August 19, 2018, 03:09 AM)
--- End quote ---

Think through if a public domain license is what you want or if some other license is a better fit. https://choosealicense.com/ is a useful resource.

This page https://choosealicense.com/licenses/ places licenses on a spectrum of openness. The Unlicense at the bottom of the page is what many mean by public domain. If you want to ensure ability to access the source code of software derivative of your work then you could pick a more open license than the Unlicense. FWIW I tend to use GPLv3.

It is easy to set up a GitHub account. If you mostly want to do a one time upload of the code to your own repository then you can probably do that through the web interface without even installing a git client.

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