How I use Movable Type

May 18, 2004 · Comments

The folks at “Six Apart”:http://www.sixapart.com/ are continuing to respond to the very public lashing they got in response to the new licensing. They now “want to know”:http://www.sixapart.com/log/2004/05/how_are_you_usi.shtml how people are using Movable Type.

I’m not one who complained on the first go round, but I’ll still post my information for their data collection. This site is just two blogs, the main one here that also has the static “about” pages and a second blog for the portfolio. One author. Simple. I also have a sub domain with a separate installation of Movable Type (and a separate MySQL database) that I use to test plug-ins and templates. I don’t publish the URL. It’s where I plan to install Movable Type 3.0D first to make sure everything’s working before migrating it here. I don’t think I should have to count that.

My question is still whether my site falls under a personal or commercial license. Yes, Mom at Home Design is now a business (at least in the eyes of the IRS and the State of Connecticut). However, this site is more “me” than business. I don’t see it as being any different than an author who has a personal website and a link to the books he/she has written. Those sites seem to fall under a personal license and I believe my site does too.

The “license” states:

bq. “Non-Commercial Purposes” means use of the Software by an individual for publishing on a personal blog site on a single sever that does not directly or indirectly support any commercial efforts. Use of the Software for any purpose by any non-individual entity, including but not limited to any commercial entity, corporation, non-profit organization, educational institution, governmental body or group, is not permitted under this Agreement. Affiliate or associate fees that are earned by a personal blog site and are payable to a single individual and that are earned through activities incidental to the main purpose of the site are permitted under the Non-Commercial Purposes of this Agreement.

“the main purpose” of this site is not to drum up business. It’s my tiny corner of the world. I’ll talk about my favorite TV show one day, new software the next or maybe my opinion on parent advocacy or gay marriage. If that’s not the definition of a personal site… but the language “does not directly or indirectly support any commercial efforts” makes me nervous. What does “indirectly” mean in this case?

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