Why is better than just a simple spreadsheet as input? Spreadsheets are still somehow very underrated
I love spreadsheets, but wouldn't this expose all the other responses collected so far to the person filling out the form?
Show HN: Typeform alternative, turns Markdown to forms
61–70 of 79 posts
Re: Show HN: Typeform alternative, turns Markdown to forms
#62I don’t understand the license here https://github.com/blocksmd/blocksmd?tab=License-1-ov-file#r... It says Business Source License 1.1 which basically means I’m free to use as long as I don’t use it to build a competitive offering. Fair enough. But it changes to AGPL-3.0 on 2028-07-01, what? Basically now I need to open source my entire stack that has any connection to the form? Why would you change it to a more res…
IANAL but from what I understand, folks will be able to use the current version of the software as it is currently licensed, forever. The author is making clear their intent to change the license on a certain date, at which point new versions of the software will only be available under AGPL. I agree it's odd that folks who use this software something that isn't a "competitive offering" may have to open-source their…
No that’s not how these license changes works. The current version is licensed under a source available license until a certain point in the future when it’s converted to an open source license, so people can use the by then possibly very outdated version freely. Or they can upgrade to the newer but still source available version if there is one. It’s meant to be an assurance that in case the business is gone by then, you the user and/or customer can still patch it yourself or rely on a community fork to keep it working.
Except here thanks to the AGPL choice, it seems to be the exact opposite of an assurance: if you use this in a proprietary setting, you’re just fucked if the business is gone and the software needs patching.
Re: Show HN: Typeform alternative, turns Markdown to forms
#63Cool! How could I install it in Jekyll ?
It could be use for landing page form, newsletter form or custom form calculator where html is not allowed.
Re: Show HN: Typeform alternative, turns Markdown to forms
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
IANAL but from what I understand, folks will be able to use the current version of the software as it is currently licensed, forever. The author is making clear their intent to change the license on a certain date, at which point new versions of the software will only be available under AGPL. I agree it's odd that folks who use this software something that isn't a "competitive offering" may have to open-source their…
No that’s not how these license changes works. The current version is licensed under a source available license until a certain point in the future when it’s converted to an open source license, so people can use the by then possibly very outdated version freely. Or they can upgrade to the newer but still source available version if there is one. It’s meant to be an assurance that in case the business is gone by then…
If you obtained the version you have under the current license, you can not be held by the more restrictive terms when the license changes at a later date, even if the owner changes the license on the current/older versions rather than just using the new license for new versions.
This isn't like a service where they can try force you to agree to an updated EULA with some "by continuing to use this service…" crap, or a rented device like a "smart" TV that can effectively do the same by refusing to work (though technically you've already agreed to that with a "we can fuck you over at a later date" clause in previous click-through agreements.
Re: Show HN: Typeform alternative, turns Markdown to forms
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
No that’s not how these license changes works. The current version is licensed under a source available license until a certain point in the future when it’s converted to an open source license, so people can use the by then possibly very outdated version freely. Or they can upgrade to the newer but still source available version if there is one. It’s meant to be an assurance that in case the business is gone by then…
If you obtained the version you have under the current license, you can not be held by the more restrictive terms when the license changes at a later date, even if the owner changes the license on the current/older versions rather than just using the new license for new versions. This isn't like a service where they can try force you to agree to an updated EULA with some "by continuing to use this service…" crap, or…
The license is one thing before 2028-07-01 and another thing afterwards. That’s the license you get right now, they’re not changing it after the fact. To put it more accurately, there’s no license change in the future, it’s simply one license with a set of terms before a certain date and another set of terms after it, they’re only calling it a license change because the set of terms afterwards constitute a well known license. Contracts like this are absolutely valid. If it still doesn’t make sense to you, think of a trial license.
Re: Show HN: Typeform alternative, turns Markdown to forms
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you obtained the version you have under the current license, you can not be held by the more restrictive terms when the license changes at a later date, even if the owner changes the license on the current/older versions rather than just using the new license for new versions. This isn't like a service where they can try force you to agree to an updated EULA with some "by continuing to use this service…" crap, or…
The license is one thing before 2028-07-01 and another thing afterwards. That’s the license you get right now, they’re not changing it after the fact. To put it more accurately, there’s no license change in the future, it’s simply one license with a set of terms before a certain date and another set of terms after it, they’re only calling it a license change because the set of terms afterwards constitute a well known…
Ah, I'd misread the comments and assumed it was an actual license change that was planned. Having actually read the LICENSE file on GitHub I have to agree. Mixing the two into one like that basically means you agree to the worst of both options.
I have nothing against AGPL, in fact if I relase anything I'll probably use it, but if I did dislike it, which some very much do, I wouldn't tough this with a bargepole even years before the change.
Re: Show HN: Typeform alternative, turns Markdown to forms
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
> This style of form is aggravating to fill out, In what sense? I suppose for me it kind of matters how many questions are being asked. I'm fine with this UX if it's a specific question or two, but for a whole questionnaire with 14 questions or more, then I'd also prefer to be able to get an overview first.
>> This style of form is aggravating to fill out, > In what sense? You just answered your own question. I want to see what I'm getting my self in for so that companies/entities can't trick me into filling out a questionnaire with 50 questions in that, "Will only take a minute!" It's easy to get people to get answer enough questions that they reach the point that stopping now would mean everything they've just done is…
> You just answered your own question.
Well, I answered part of it ("Fine if short form, annoying if long form") but you seemed at first to find it aggravating no matter what.
Yeah, tricking people into thinking something is short when it's actually long is obviously shitty, no matter the approach.
Re: Show HN: Typeform alternative, turns Markdown to forms
#68I don’t understand the license here https://github.com/blocksmd/blocksmd?tab=License-1-ov-file#r... It says Business Source License 1.1 which basically means I’m free to use as long as I don’t use it to build a competitive offering. Fair enough. But it changes to AGPL-3.0 on 2028-07-01, what? Basically now I need to open source my entire stack that has any connection to the form? Why would you change it to a more res…
So I did not want to open-source yet, which is why I picked BUSL-1.1, and from what I can tell, the other BUSL-1.1 I've looked at had this clause to open-source at a later date (AGPL3 is an open-source license after all). I'm still trying to figure out the licensing around this whole thing, so this is temporary I believe.
It is AGPL that most people will have an issue with. Perhaps you can select a different license for the automatic switch.
Re: Show HN: Typeform alternative, turns Markdown to forms
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
> uncanny valley Yes, but he's very close to the obvious solution that will spark web 4.0. Closest I've seen yet.
Would love to catch a chat with you about this if you don't mind. My email is tahmid(dot)hm(dot)dev(at)gmail.com.
Sent!
P.S. You can just write "tahmid.hm.dev@gmail.com". Gmail spam filter is good enough to eliminate automated spam, and also nowadays verbalization provides no additional protection against email address crawlers ;). Might even be the opposite ;)
Re: Show HN: Typeform alternative, turns Markdown to forms
#70Very good work, especially for a solo developer. Feedback: 1. Design language of the forms feels too much like Typeform, you're a talented designer: differentiate the design to establish your own identity. If the forms look like Typeform, form-fillers are not going to investigate what form software it is and use it -- which was a big part of why Typeform grew. 2. The name is terrible. Blocks? The name sounds like you…
> The name is terrible. Blocks? The name sounds like you decided on it for a different project (some sort of component framework using Markdown?) `forms.md` says what it is on the label. And `filldown` has a lot of extensions available: https://www.namecheap.com/domains/registration/results/?doma...
how about some riff on mark down / fill in. Maybe that's more of a tagline