Just an Idea

[esi1]

Have an idea and want to run it past some of you and get some suggestions.

Working on a software project with some friends but have gotten as far as we are able to with our expertise.

As a result we found several sites ( 1 option is the standard hiring of a freelancer , whilst the other option would be to join a site like Topcoder and run a contest ).

Since we prefer the Idea of a contest we have decided to look into running our own rather than hiring a company like topcoder .

therefor we need some ideas.

At this moment in time we are thinking of offering each Team/participant difined webspace on the server . Each space would have the program we have designed installed on the space . We were thinking of protecting the software in someway . Thus we want to give the user full access to write code / modify , save code on the server space , etc we don't want them to be able to save the code anywhere else in order to prevent them from moving it out of the server space, saving onto their computer etc ( as we want to prevent stealing ) .

In the past I have worked for companies where I was able to log into the companies systems remotely ie via the internet. Thus I was able to do anything I wanted once logged in . I could not save anything to my computer /Disk or take screenshots . This is kinda what we want.

So

1. Can anyone recommend software to allow this type of controlled access.
2.best way to promote something like this.
3.any general Ideas / comments / suggestions most welcomed


Cheers

[nihil]

Yeah,

Commercial grade security software comes at industrial strength prices.

Look at the comparative costs of your other options. If your software is any good it is worth protecting, so don't be cheapskate. You need to look ahead.............I presume that this is going to be distributable? If so, you have to think about protecting it once it is completed.

Remember that if you go for a competition, you will be giving away the source and compiled binary to people you don't know from Adam. Some of them probably know how to use a digital camera or have an opposable thumb and know how to write.

I have no personal faith in this DRM software..............it can all be cracked by someone with sufficient knowledge and the incentive.

Safest, is to increase the size of your team with suitably qualified people, or hire a professional with whom you have an enforcable legal contract.

If Microsoft can't protect their property with all their billions, how do you hope to do so?

[esi1]

We could break the program up into chunks and set the competition on certain chunks . That way we aren't giving away the full product.

Currently the program is just under 238,000 lines of code so anyone choosing t write the code down will have RSI by the time they finish noting it down.


Also any suggestions on the type of software for protection currently on the market ? even some manufacturers would help

thanks

[nihil]

Hmmm,

And people could sign up with different names or collude. You must face the fact that if they want to steal it, they will.

On the commercial software front, you might like to take a look at this:

http://www.locklizard.com/

[Aardpsymon]

lets face it, the only way to keep code safe is to not show it. If you are going to give me enough access to view the code and write to it, I can save a copy of it. Even if it means sniffing my own traffic to do it.

You could always reverse your thinking. Pick the modules that you are having trouble with and make the competition: "design a module that does ...... " Worst case all they get is the one module. But then you have some extra work to fit their results into your code.

[fourdc]

This is starting to sound like the Monty Python skit on the worlds funniest joke. The British translated it into German so it would help them win the war. The joke was so funny that the translators only allowed to translate just one word of it.

No doubt that when your product goes into production there will need to be upgrades at some point, no one ever designs the perfect product that never needs improving. I'd get the talent on board from the onset or grow the talent amongst yourselves. Someone is going to have to piece these modules together and see that they behave together.

[linlover929]

I find it a bit idiotic to try to do a commercial project while a. not having the skills to do it yourself and b. not being willing to pay the people that are doing it.

I do have a few questions did they have you install a software to so you could log in or was their a site to go to? I find it hard to believe they found some way to do this over a site. You need to have a program installed on a. computer so that when a connects to b. it cant do any of the afore mentioned things.

I would personally just recommend setting up a box and giving people group access to the project. They can change and alter it. And just keep a back off site. If someone that is working on the project wants to copy the code then let them. They wont have access to the entire thing. They will only have access to the section you gave them group access to.