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I find an API that you aren't allowed to share client code for to be pretty much useless. If I'm a part of any evaluation committees evaluating software purchases, I will certainly make that opinion known and justify why I think it's justified. My institution is not currently a SerSol customer for any products with APIs. (Although we are a customer of a product that eventually theoretically will have an API). I think existing SerSol customers should complain to SerSol about this. Hey, I might as well write a blog post explaining why an API you aren't allowed to share code for is practically useless... http://bibwild.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/api_license_useless/ There you go. Jonathan Ross Singer wrote: > This is ironic given that their API is "standards based". > > http://www.serialssolutions.com/ss_360_link_features.html > > What, exactly, are vendors worried about when they hide their API behind an NDA? > > Even more disturbing, why bother advertising your API at all if a > community can't be built to create innovative new ideas around it? > > It's a wonder why libraries put up with any of this. > > -Ross. > > On Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 12:19 PM, Yitzchak Schaffer <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> Yitzchak Schaffer wrote: >> >> >> >>> Assuming that Serials Solutions will >>> allow some kind of sharing for these - they make clients sign a NDA >>> before they show you the docs. I'm waiting to hear their response; I >>> would be surprised if they wouldn't allow sharing of something like this >>> among clients. >>> >>> >> D'oh: here's the lowdown from SerSol: >> >> "The terms of the NDA do not allow for client signatories to share of >> any information related to the proprietary nature of our API's with >> other clients. However, if you would like to share them with us we can >> make them available to other API clients upon request. I think down the >> road we may be able to come up with creative ways to do this - perhaps >> an API user's group, but for now we cannot allow sharing of this kind of >> information outside of your institution." >> >> >> >> -- >> Yitzchak Schaffer >> Systems Librarian >> Touro College Libraries >> 33 West 23rd Street >> New York, NY 10010 >> Tel (212) 463-0400 x230 >> Fax (212) 627-3197 >> [log in to unmask] >> >> > > -- Jonathan Rochkind Digital Services Software Engineer The Sheridan Libraries Johns Hopkins University 410.516.8886 rochkind (at) jhu.edu