This program looks very mutch on PHP Classifieds

[bareare]

Hi

I am a developer of a free (for non commercial usage) and commercial program that have many of the features, problems (in discussion threads. Example: Extra fields) and release history as mentioned here in the support forum. It has some of the design element and the admin area as my first version and also features from my new version. I started making it in 97 and have sold thousands of licenses since then.

Just some months ago, I released a completely new version with large db changes, and new template, so now it doesn�t look to alike anymore overall but... The code samples listed some places in the forum is very! alike, just some changed variable names...

So, I wonder if anyone can shed some ligth on how 68Classifieds came alive?

The reason why I ended up here was due to several customers of mine mentioning the similar look and features, and they asked what was going on. I do not like to post here, but I am curios if the author just is inspired by my script or whatever have happened here.

[Blair]

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're not accusing us of intellectual property infringement. I'll also address your concerns in our forum publicly so that any doubts can be addressed and eliminated.

About six years ago, the primary developer of 68 Classifieds worked for his family's motorcycle dealership while going to school to become a programmer. During this time, he looked for ways to improve the exposure of his family's business by setting up a classifieds site displaying the current inventory they carried. He used a free script (available to for-profit businesses as well as not-for-profit businesses. It wasn't your script...) and was involved in the script's forum asking and answering questions to make this free script better. (He pasted a modification to the script in the forum and the thread was still active over two years later.)

After finishing school, he and I formed a company and focussed on a variety of web-based solutions - he as the developer and myself acting as support for our local customer base.

His family continued to rely on him to promote their business on the web and eventually he realized the limitations of the classified script he had been using. As a result - and after many months of trying to improve the free script with limited success - we decided we could do better. This was the beginning of 68 Classifieds.

We continually strive to improve the product, listen to our customers, ask for suggestions to make it better, etc. I imagine these are the same things that any other developer of any other script available experiences.

In regards to similarities, the only explanation that I have is that your company and our company each develop their own scripts that fit the same purpose - to sell classified ads. Assuming that your goal is the same as ours - that is, to make the best classifieds script available - it makes sense that similar features are available from both companies, no? I assure you, if my goal were to build a better car, it would still have four tires.

I've logged into your example site (and I'm sure you've logged into ours) and, quite honestly, the only similarities I see is that it's a two column layout with a 100% width header at the top. They both have a global settings page (again, wouldn't all classifieds scripts have a global settings page?), they have a page to manage users, a page to manage ads, etc. All things related to managing a successful classifieds site.

In regards to your concern about extra fields, I have the same explanation. If we both offer a classifieds solution that can be used for selling horses or cars or motorcycles or real estate, etc., then there has to be a way of adding extra fields for a given group of products. The only way not to have a means of managing extra fields is to assign them "right out of the box" which would prevent the use for a variety of products.

I hope I've addressed your concerns satisfactorily and respect the concern you have. It's my hope that we can maintain a healthy competition between our two companies as I believe the ultimate winners will be the customers - both yours and ours.

Thanks for contacting us.

[Eric Barnes]

Actually I can assure you our program is in no way shape or form the same as yours. If you don't believe us you can purchase the developer edition and see for yourself. Or ask a few of our users who have used your script. I know juven14 has done an import from your system to ours.

Also from your change log:
- New template system (upgrade friendly) (2.nd of june 2006)

We have had that for about a year now. So I guess we should be asking you the same thing.

[bareare]

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, the design I have now is pretty new, but the changelog only reflects our final release, the design has been ready and in public beta far before this.

I do understand that classifieds programs have many features of course, there are a basic set of features that must be in place.

What I reacted on, at first, was that I recognized the boxes and layout. It�s exactly what my OLD template looked like, both in style, like black input boxes, white submit buttons, and sometimes blue input, where you have forgotten to add the style, where the menus is in admin area and the functions available. Order of appearance is the same as in my old setting system, however, you have divided them into section, but kept the same order of appearance I had.

That�s why I (and customers of mine) reacted on, in my forum. Also, all features from admin area is the same as I had many, man years ago, however, improved a lot of course. Along with the order of apearence of settings and the text in admin area, there is no doubt in my mind where the inspiration at least is grabbed from. Sorry, but there are only to many things alike that can�t be described as similar thinking. It�s quite easy to see when you compare them side by side.

My company didn�t start up as PHP Classifieds when I started in �97, so I suspect that it was my program that was used as base. I used it to make a links database, but converted it into classifieds system. That�s the only logic reason I can see to how you have ended up with a system very mutch compareable to mine with same texts and order of appearance.

I have already gotten a demo version of your program. However, since mutch of it is encoded, I can�t really look into it more than I can say that the folder structure is the same, but the filenames are different.

However, I do see that you have done a lot of work on it, adding features and improving the ones in place, so there is no doubt that it is better than my program was.

I do not bother to do any follow ups on this at this time, but I must say I was a bit shocked on first view.

[CB]

bareare,

My company represents the second largest web development firm in New Hampshire. When looking for a classified script we review all the current offerings, including phpClassifieds. 68 stands alone for code structure, features and available add-ons. All classified scripts require basic information to function as an effective classified solution. When any software gains popularity, customer feedback effects the development of the software. Many of the features found in 68 originated from 68 customer requests.

With "thousands of licenses sold� of phpClassifieds, I would assume many of the new features found in your script also originated from the same type of customer feedback.

I have no affiliation with 68.

Best regards,

CB

[juven14]

You can always buy the developer edition if you really want to see the source.

Personally, if I were going to accuse another company of stealing my intellectual property, I would do it privately.

I can attest for most of the features being legitimate customer requests - as some of them were mine.

As for the database - I did switch a customer of yours over to the 68 database and the structure was different - 4 tables or so vs 50. Of course I didn't get into the code side but did note that it didn't use the smarty template system.

[gregbatch]

Well, php is php, and there are only so many ways to do things. So, it is natural that similar features would result in similar routines and other code. Unavoidable.

As far as other issues of design or features, as others have said this script has been developed with the feedback of users. Perhaps some users did see things in your script they liked and requested something similar in 68classifieds. Be flattered. What are the chances some your customer requests were influenced by 68 classifieds?

It's called competition, and in some industries and businesses its hard to tell one product from the next they are so similar. It's the small differences that make the products unique and appeal to different consumers.