Things like versions, TODO’s, descriptions etc etc. – who cares. These are YOUR business as the developer, not the user’s. It is not their problem – you’re passing off the convenience of having them there for YOU onto the user in terms of file size.

Code comments like that are similar a Captcha in that respect. Spam emails sent to you aren’t the user’s problem so why make it theirs by having to fill in a stupid box.

Deal with it yourself, keep your comments in a text file or whatever – don’t push them on the user.

For me, the biggest reason to use a small template is to make the code look more professional. I know it sounds funny, but if the code starts from line 1, it looks naked and somehow a hack to me.

I did stumble upon a different explanation as well. Many editors and tools don’t include the file name when you print a file. So including the file name is a way to work around that particular limitation in your tools.

Obviously, you must abide by the rules of the license you choose to use, I choose to use licenses which don’t require a lot of boiler plate yadda-yadda in my files, if possible.

Your recommendation is ill informed and totally irresponsible.

It’s for older email systems. When you send a file via email, some attachment software may alter the filename or may inline the source code, thus not preserving the file name.

When you receive a file like this, the source code makes it easy to see the intended file name.

Hope this helps!

;-)

http://creativecommons.org/about/cc0

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And on occasion, I just look at my automatically generated TODO list for stuff, well, to do!

You’re missing the point though, especially on the copy-right notice IMHO.

Are they NECESSARY? No.

…but that’s not what matters. The real question is: Are they USELESS?

The fact of the matter is they do server a purpose.

I’m well aware that a copyright notice is not necessary legally. You hold copyright ipso facto when you create something.

…but that’s not why I put it on some things I distribute. It’s there as a subtle cue to my users that I have a certain way I would *like* them to use whatever I am distributing.

It may be that I just want them to contact me first, it may be that I have a special version already to give out rather than them trying to dis-assemble the one with the notice and re-purpose it, or any number of things.

Does it force them to use it as I intended or would like? No…but it *definitely* helps.

The other important question is: is it hurting anything?

Again, the answer is often no.

I agree many people take it out of hand. You don’t need to slap (c) all over *everything*. Having the file name is a bit silly….likewise the entire text of the license. Having it at the top of every file of a project is a mostly useless maintenance burden as you noted.

I’m just saying sometimes having a head at the top of the source often is a very useful way of conveying information, in some cases it may be the ONLY way or the easiest way.

If anyone could point me to a nice web-based tool which would allow me to scribble “margin notes”, doodle pictures, and highlight pieces of code electronically, and share those notes with someone, it would be greatly appreciated.

In times long gone, when printing multi-file programs on a line printer, such a header was a good idea. I still remember the days when access to a video terminal was granted on a hourly basis, and printing your program and editing on paper to prepare for the next terminal session was the norm.