I wonder if one could add a dead man’s switch to a license like this to try and remedy this. For instance:
If the license is changed in the future, all previous iterations of the source code become one of the standard Open Source licenses.
If the source becomes unmaintained for X amount of time, the source code become one of the standard Open Source licenses.
I don’t know if that would still accomplish FUTO’s goals in particular, but I like this discussion because I tend to agree with their general concerns - but also preferring more pure open source philosophy.
The current license allows a fork as long as it isn’t commercial re-distribution(meaning, our payment links are kept in & it isn’t being “sold” by the forker).
FUTO is working on a type of license so that if the software we create is abandoned/goes rogue/we go bankrupt that you can all do whatever the hell you w ant with it. That type of stuff is fairly in the weeds.
It is on the roadmap to come up with something like a rugpull clause, where if certain metrics are met, you can just do whatever you want to it. It’s more difficult to put this in legalese. Especially when you’re in a building of people who just want to program all day.
Posting this just as another source of info on what FUTO’s goals are for their software. I don’t think most of us here agree with their stance, but this might shed some more light on where FUTO is coming from. I personally am using their Voice Input alongside HeliBoard since I don’t really know of any good voice input apps outside of the complete closed source space.
Built-in local voice detection (English and multilingual)
Simple design
AI Writing suggestions for English
-:
Only latin languages supported
The clipboard is buggy
No “Old emojis”, eg (^^)v
No button to change Keyboard
Right now I am backed on Fcitx5 for Android, which has more features and is more polished, but lacks built-in voice recognition.(It It can use third party voice recognition apps like Futo Voice)
Hey man appreciate you joining the forum! I feel the the same way. I feel you actually try to do something good here. Funding of open source my bigger companies is a big issue. At the corporate I work we are pushing for funding the open source we use. But that wont be a given for all companies without change.
Ive tried after reading about it, but not having multi-language and having to switch the keyboard is tiresome, so went back to heliboard, even if touch is imprecise.
The most recent update includes a new swipe model that’s highly accurate. They list accuracy statistics that are better than gboard, which makes sense based on the results I’m getting. Can we start recommending this? It seems like a high priority to have a recommended Android keyboard that doesn’t connect to the internet.
I swapped out gboard for futo, and swiping performance seems accurate enough for me. Similar feature set and appearance overall. Gboard has gif/sticker finders, and a simpler settings interface, but then it’s google and you probably want internet perm disabled anyway
Different experience here. I tested the Futo keyboard some years back and again last week with the latest update. While I love the keyboard, swipe typing is not there yet. I went back to Gboard within an hour of testing the futo keyboard last week. I run Rethink and block Gboard data leakage that way.
It won’t be recommended because their “source first” license isn’t open source. To even have a chance they need to add a rugpull clause to the license and there’s been nothing on that beyond what @louis_rossmann mentioned earlier in this thread.
Dang I just tried FUTO Keyboard again (I tried it a few months ago and was not impressed) and the swipe typing is way better than Gboard even without the personalization!
You can even contribute to their dataset, which is MIT licensed. Must be on a phone: https://swipe.futo.org/