Standardised Creator Policies

[Delphy]

Hi All,

Overview: adding functionality into the site to help with creator policies.

Description of feature:

While working on a Wiki list to display other peoples Creator policies, and in internal talks inside MTS2, it was determined that we needed some easy standardised way of telling the creator policies of people actually on MTS2 itself.

While a lot of creators have thier policies within the About Me box on the profile (which is what I originally envisaged), or in the signature, sometimes scanning the text is hard and not everybody does it, and additionally some people have policies inside an image which makes it even harder to be machine translated.

We came up with the idea of having a common representation of the Creator Policies and to that end, designed the My Policies page, where you can setup your policies in an easy to read manner.

How to use:

Go to http://www.modthesims2.com/mypolicies.php, or use the Creator Links dropdown at the top.

The policies will appear on your profile page underneath your download area, and will take a couple minutes to appear (as per other profile changes)

Please note that even though you might have policies already setup, I strongly advise you to try using this new system instead - it's standardised, so everybody will have the same text (customised to thier policy) and that will make it easier for others.

If you absolutely must keep your old policy, you can check the "Special - See Profile" option at the bottom and put everything else on Not Applicable. This will reduce the Creator Policies box on your profile to the shortest possible. However it is not and will not be possible to remove the box entirely.

For example of the policy see my profile page.

Let me know what you think! :)

Regards
Delphy

[Elephant]

Thanks Delphy, this will help a LOT.

[macm09]

This will help out so much when uploading lots with CC in the future. Before, I had a hard time figuring out creator policies without actually having to contact the person. This will be so much easier and less of a hassle to get things uploaded quickly! :)

[J. M. Pescado]

I prefer the simple approach to creator policies. Because of this, my creator policy is a single word: "Meh.". You should try it. It saves a lot of hassle.

[ShanOw]

Delphy, this is great idea, but there really should be an option in which one must ask permission before cloning meshes or including hem in recolors etc. Many creators, including myself, like to keep track of where there creations are going.

[NixNivis]

Absolutely brilliant idea - THANK YOU!

[Delphy]

ShanOw, erm, you did look at the policies page, right? Becuase there is an option "Ask me before modifying/using".

[NixNivis]

One question: When I check the "not applicable" boxes within the "my meshes" and "my recolours" categories, they stay checked like good little boxes, but when I try it for an entire category ("Walls/Floors" in my case), the box does not stay unchecked after saving and the category in queston still shows up under the Creator Policy. Is it really supposed to work that way?

[CatOfEvilGenius]

Delphy - I've used the new creator policy thingie and it works as advertised! Shows up on my profile page, very clear and easy to read. Now I can use the old policies box for news for folks who check my page. Lots of people already use their policies box that way, so maybe you could rename it the news box or something. ;)

[ShanOw]

ShanOw, erm, you did look at the policies page, right? Becuase there is an option "Ask me before modifying/using".

That is more of a global thing for everything, whereas I only want people to ask permission if they include the meshes with recolors.

[Tat2ddevilboy]

GREAT IDEA! Thanks for this.

[SparrowsWench]

I really like this addition. I had trouble writing my own policies (not sure what I even wanted), so a standardized policy guide is very nice. This way it's pretty clear what you wish people to do/not do with your work.

Great job!

[Delphy]

nixnivis, I just tried it and when I tick the not applicable box it works as expected directly on the my policies page. However, as the note says, the actual profile page may be delayed a couple of minutes due to caching. Perhaps this is the issue you are seeing?

ShanOw: Like I said if you have specifics then you have to mention them in your About/Policy box - the point of this particular feature is to make *standardised* policies available to add - if a creator then wants to make up thier own... well, go for it.

[tunaisafish]

nixnivis's problem is probably that It doesn't work in IE7
In IE7, the checkbox itself that you click becomes disabled, then you can't uncheck it.
And being as it's disabled, IE is probably not sending the value.

Works great with FF.

[leesester]

I have a suggesion to add an additional option to the list for object mods - sometimes an object is in two parts with one part linked to another required mesh, and so can be risky to include in a lot as maybe only half the functionality will be enabled, so for the sake of one object a policy can require special policy, which I think this new method is trying to eliminate.

Maybe another idea is to allow/encourage creators to put an "exceptions to standard policy" rule in the upload itself rather than a special policy?

In the meantime I am trotting off to see if I can find some help on combining linked meshes into one object so I can get rid of my special policy box.

[Deluxe Designs]

SWEET! :D Thanks SO much :)

[NixNivis]

Delphy, no, that's not it - the walls/floors section is still there (even though it's been hours since I last tried to check the "not applicable" box). I check the "not applicable" box, save the Creator Policy page - but when the saved page comes back, that particular box isn't checked any longer, and there's also no change to the policy on my profile. Even after several minutes.

nixnivis's problem is probably that It doesn't work in IE7.
Since I'm not running IE7, I doubt that's the problem. ;)

I'm running Windows XP SP3 and IE6.

ETA: It is as tunaisafish says, though - the checkbox does get greyed out and can't be unchecked. Note that this only happens with the "not applicable" box for a whole category; the "not applicable" boxes within a category works just fine.

[Delphy]

I just tried doing that exact same thing on both nene and linna and... it worked perfectly. The Creator Policies page always gives me the correct view with the right amount of checks and greyed out bits.

[NixNivis]

It does work in Firefox, so I can get the offending section out of my profile that way, and that's really the main thing. :)

IE keep refusing to understand it, though (even after I cleared out my cookies and cache) - and it gets worse. When I return to the creator policy page after changing it in Firefox, and try to uncheck the "not applicable" box just to see if it works, the section remains greyed out - but the checkbox gets greyed out, too, and I can't recheck it. *shakes head*

But as I said, it works in Firefox, so I can solve it that way. I think this is one of those unsolvable things we'll simply have to chalk up to IE being stupid... :rolleyes: Thanks for trying, though!

[Delphy]

I totally didn't read that bit about IE earlier... must have skipped it for some reason.

Anyway I've gotten rid of the semitransparent disabled state since it didn't work properly in IE, and switched it to a simple hide/show div instead - and now it works fine in both IE6 and FF. Can somebody confirm it works in IE7 too?

Thanks :)

[CatOfEvilGenius]

Tested the "not applicable" box in IE7, it works fine now.
I can check it, uncheck it, rinse, repeat, works.
The pertinent section collapses / uncollapses correctly.
(I hate IE7 sooooo much....)

[NixNivis]

It works like a charm over here, too. Thank you for that! :bunny:

[freesimmy21]

Great idea, Delphy! ;) But do you think you could add "Taking/Not Taking Requests" to the list, so people will know if a creator doesn't want to be bothered?

[CatOfEvilGenius]

freesimmy21 MTS2 site policy forbids people from making requests unless the creator specifically says they take requests. Some people just don't bother to read the site rules.

[Simonut]

I totally didn't read that bit about IE earlier... must have skipped it for some reason.

Anyway I've gotten rid of the semitransparent disabled state since it didn't work properly in IE, and switched it to a simple hide/show div instead - and now it works fine in both IE6 and FF. Can somebody confirm it works in IE7 too?

Thanks :)

Delphy it work fine I have window XP and internet Explorer 7 no problem here.

[girlfromverona]

I really like this idea! Thanks, Delphy. :)

[chrissy6930]

cool idea Delphy! :up:

am having a question though:

would like to allow my stuff for use with lots uplaoded to free sites excluding the exchange. only the free site/ not exchange shows up under upload policy and thus makes the impression that I appreciate reuploading my stuff elsewhere.

could you please clarify?

[Delphy]

Indeed this is true becuase it's talking about where the stuff can be uploaded to - if you think about it you are actually allowing your stuff to be re-uploaded elsewhere if you allow it to be included in Lots on the exchange. This is obviously slightly different from somebody else claiming it's thiers, but in combination with the Lot checkboxes I think it's clear to most creators what is meant.

[chrissy6930]

Indeed this is true becuase it's talking about where the stuff can be uploaded to - if you think about it you are actually allowing your stuff to be re-uploaded elsewhere if you allow it to be included in Lots on the exchange. This is obviously slightly different from somebody else claiming it's thiers, but in combination with the Lot checkboxes I think it's clear to most creators what is meant.

tyty Delphy! :)

[Masterofallvideogames]

Nice, thanks for this Delphy ^^;

[lamammaforever]

I noticed it some days ago and already played with this feature, it's great and works perfectly. Thanks D.

[Phaenoh]

I love these little policies, and it is really easy to read. I did notice however there was a small discrepancy with them. In the General Terms section at the bottom the first check box says "Credit me with a link." but displays to everyone else as "Please give credit when using my work." The part asking for a link is missing!

[CatOfEvilGenius]

Delphy - In the mesh section, could you please add a checkbox or radio button for "You may modify my meshes"? I give people permission to do this, but can't currently indicate it in my policy. Thanks!

Phaenoh's right, it should say "link" explicitly.

[Numenor]

I usually allow including my creations in lots, as long as the lots are uploaded only to free sites (no Exchange).

Therefore, in the General Terms, I've checked:
- Upload to Free sites only
- Do not upload to the Exchange!

And then I checked also
- You may include my meshes with lots
- You may include my recolours with lots.

Question: doesn't it seem that the General Terms actually allow reposting my creation to free sites, even if not included in a lot?
I'd be less worried if in the General Terms there was a checkbox reading "Don't repost my stuff anywhere"...

[Delphy]

Numenor: I don't see the problem? You have ticked the "Free sites only and do not upload to the exchange"... which is what you want...

If you think about it, people *are* posting your stuff when they include it in Lots. How else would they include it?

[Numenor]

Of course you're right; probably I was unclear, sorry.

Don't you think that the options described above may be misunderstood, in good faith or on purpose?
If, for example, I were incined to allow reposting my stuff (included or NOT included in lots) to any free site, I should check the same options...
After all, the General Terms (as well all other sections) apply to *my* creations, not to the other user's lot; therefore the mentioned options could be (mis)understood as "Upload [my creations] to Free sites only" etc.

Am I paranoic? :lol:

[fakepeeps7]

Nice! Thanks, Delphy. :)

[Delphy]

Numenor, I guess I'm taking it as a given that creators do not repost other creators work as thier own - anybody who does that usually gets a whole ton of grief from people...

[Numenor]

You're right again. And I'm just a little paranoic :lol:

[DeePsGrrl]

I wanted to say thank you, I hope to upload soon and quite honestly this is one thing that has been holding me back from doing so. So thank you for making the process more simple. Now I just need pic's to be easier. haha.

p.s. you have done amazing work to the website Delphy, and those who have helped him. :)

[Psychosim]

Cool idea!

What's a "Zmobie attack"? :D You could leave that typo, I find it very amusing.

[fakepeeps7]

Any chance you could add a tick-box for whether or not a creator takes requests?

[Canoodle]

Great idea fakepeeps! I was just thinking about this earlier today. I was looking for a creator's policy on requests, as folks were spamming their thread with requests. Thanks for reading my mind. :P

[Delphy]

MTS2 does not have any specific areas or sections for requests - the only possible requests are via PM. Thus, I don't really see the need to add this to the standard policies since then people will assume they can put requests anywhere which is obviously not the case.

Requests (as with anything special) should therefore go in the normal text at the top and not in the Standardised policies.

[SimsShine]

Thanks! Very handy!

[Vanito]

Just for clarification:

What exactly is meant with 'unrelated projects'?

[ah_clem]

Works terrifically- Thanks!

[anselmo dupim]

Absolutely brilliant idea - THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

[Lonelyeco]

Splendid idea.

[CatOfEvilGenius]

Still hoping for a "You may / may not modify my meshes" option.
I want folks to know they can modify my clothing meshes, with credit.

[joninmobile]

I second that! but maybe include one for you may modify my meshes only if you ask permission first. Because some things can be too easily modified. I preffer for people to ask me first before they modify anything.