This may sound like a nit-pick (and it may well be), but I believe that using the word "Free" in the list of reasons to use the module is misleading within the context of a GPL project.

Anything that relies on a Google API is "free of charge", which should not be confused with "free software". I cannot review, nor modify a Google API. I am bound to Google's terms of service when I use a Google API. Google has the rights to analyze my data and resell it at any point when they see fit to do so.

I don't want to be alarmist, or try to tell people not to use Google if they love their APIs. People are free to use whichever software they want to use. However, Drupal and its modules are actually free, in the GPL Free Software sense of the word, and within that context, referring to any Google service needs to be clarified with wording a little more specific like "free to use", "available free of charge" etc. I know this is really minor, but I think its a vital description, because people need to understand that Google's services come at a cost, its just not monetary; its one of (software and IP) freedom.

Comments

boombatower’s picture

boombatower commented

Lets do a complete revamp of project page.

1) screenshot
2) link to Google Chart API
3) notice at bottom summarizing what you wrote (or just remove "free")
4) basic example on home page to show how easy it is with this module and clean syntax.

tjholowaychuk’s picture

tjholowaychuk commented

Im fine with whatever as long as my Vision Media portion stays intact :)

13rac1’s picture

13rac1 commented
Assigned: Unassigned » boombatower
Priority: Minor » Critical

The link to "Victoria Web Design" goes to a spam site with popups. It needs to be removed(corrected?) ASAP. I don't have permission to edit the project description.

boombatower’s picture

boombatower commented

e-mailed tjholowaychuk about it.

boombatower’s picture

boombatower commented

Removed link to Victoria Web Design since tjholowaychuk confirmed that the site was taken down.

13rac1’s picture

13rac1 commented
Priority: Critical » Minor

Ok. Thanks

Pierre.Vriens’s picture

Pierre.Vriens commented
Title: Change wording on project's main page » Project page revamp
Version: 6.x-1.2 » 7.x-1.x-dev
Issue summary: View changes
Priority: Minor » Major

@gnat: thanks for submitting this issue, +1 from me! You confirm what I was already suspecting/assuming, but wasn't sure about. For sure I'll remember to add a pointer to it in the Comparison of charting modules that I started some time ago (and which already includes a few words related to "privacy" ...!. Also, I recently stumbled upon #1733940: Add a privacy disclaimer, which includes some interesting stuff to be aware of also ...

With permission from the other maintainers, I'd be happy to (soon) work on this. At least as suggested above, but if OK also to add some other things that I think deserve a spot on that page, such as "maintainers" (past and current). Possible other items/topics, similar to what's on some of the other modules for which I'm a (co-)maintainer. For a sample of that, checkout the project pages of forena and csvdata (and the recent revisions of those pages). Obviously, if by doing so any of these corrections don't seem OK for you, we just use the revisions to restore what's needed.

Looking forward to some type of "go"!

Pierre.Vriens’s picture

Pierre.Vriens commented

Haven't seen any "go", though not a "no go" either, so until further notice I'm going to assume a "go" ...

First thing I did is add a note to the projet page as suggested in "3)" of comment #1 ... While updating it, it occured to me that a variation of what's written in the original issue description is like "taking down the service at any point in time" (i.e. April 2015 ...) is also part of the terms of service, right?

Next thing i want to do is refine the warning near to the top to a variation of it, with a link to #2376179: Chart 7.x-3.x Release.