Question about mods no longer on the Nexus

[Bundy714]

First, lets be clear, I am not trying to buck tradition or change anything, I’m just trying to understand the how’s and why’s a tradition takes hold.  Please don’t take this the wrong way, I know the tradition, follow it, and have never questioned it before.  And NO, I am not trying to break tradition or get a mod that is no longer available, I just read a thread where this came up and it got me thinking, that’s all.

 

The tradition I’m talking about is how we deal with mods that are no longer on the Nexus. I’ve long understood that some mods are no longer available and just accepted it.  And I’ve never actually questioned why before, it’s just the way it is.  I just don't understand it and since there are lots of mod authors here, maybe someone can explain it to me.

 

Someone creates a mod, shares it with the public, and then for whatever reason, it gets banned, or removed, and if you got it before it disappeared, all is well.  But if you lost it, or didn't download before it disappeared, you are S.O.L.  Tradition says it's not allowed and frowned upon to share files that are no longer on the Nexus.....like you would be stealing them.  How can you steal something that was given freely to anyone that wanted to download it?

 

I've never understood that whole "I got it before it disappeared, but it would be wrong for me to share it with you" thing.  I've come to accept it, but I still don't see what could possibly be "wrong" with it.  How is it that the mod author would gladly share with 1000's of people, but now....it would be wrong for you to get the mod.  Maybe I'm not looking at it right, but I just don't understand the logic.

 

Mods disappear for lots of reasons.  Some had content from other games….I can understand that one.  Others got banned because the mod author said something inappropriate on the Nexus.  Others because the mod author got angry at some troll comments under his mod and decided to remove it.  Others just because real life or loss of interest in Skyrim made them choose to take it down.  Or they just don’t want to support it any more.

 

Either way……(and I’m just thinking here), if you got the mod before it went down, you happily continue to use it, and no one thinks you are doing anything wrong.  BUT if you share a copy with someone else, common tradition says that is wrong as the mod author no longer wants to share, or maybe is unable to share because of being banned.

 

So, I’m thinking, if the mod author no longer wants to share his mod, how can you use the mod (solely based on when and where you got it) without doing something wrong, but it would be wrong if I got a copy from you?  Shouldn’t you also, delete the mod if the mod author no longer wants to share?  Wouldn’t we both be wrong in using his mod?  But no…..it all seems to depend on when you downloaded the mod….and if you kept a copy on your hard drive.

 

I guess that’s my main source of confusion, the whole, I got it before it disappeared so I can freely use it without any sense of wrongdoing, but to give you a copy would be wrong.  That’s what is hard to wrap my head around.  And then there seem to be exceptions, like SRO.  SRO is no longer on the Nexus, so tradition says it is off limits, yet it is still included in STEP, you just have to torrent it.  So what makes it different?

 

Can someone explain it to me?  Especially the SRO "exception".

[DanielCoffey]

In my mind there is a distinction between mods that are "withdrawn" consciously by the author (the HD Shrines one for example) and on the other hand mods that are just inaccessible due to banning.

[TechAngel85]

SRO exception is due to Starac (the author) being reasonably okay with the torrent and even telling people himself that if they want it then they can just search for the torrent. He just doesn't support the mod anymore by releasing updates to it (even though he continues to update it for his own game).

 

The rest is simply respecting the author's choices. If the mod is taken down, then it's obvious that the author no longer wishes to share it; therefore, others respect the author's wishes by not sharing it either. If the author/mod was banned from Nexus then we respect Nexus in all their decisions by not share or reuploading the mod elsewhere. If the author reuploads the mods somewhere else, then we'll point to that location.

[Bundy714]

SRO exception is due to Starac (the author) being reasonably okay with the torrent and even telling people himself that if they want it then they can just search for the torrent. He just doesn't support the mod anymore by releasing updates to it (even though he continues to update it for his own game).

 

The rest is simply respecting the author's choices. If the mod is taken down, then it's obvious that the author no longer wishes to share it; therefore, others respect the author's wishes by not sharing it either. If the author/mod was banned from Nexus then we respect Nexus in all their decisions by not share or reuploading the mod elsewhere. If the author reuploads the mods somewhere else, then we'll point to that location.

Now that makes perfect sense to me.  I think I drank entirely too much coffee this morning when I posted that, haha.  It's a shame a question that long can be answered so concisely.  I was in no way concise because I didn't want to be misunderstood.  Thanks for the answer, that explains everything.  Especially the part about if mods are posted elsewhere and SRO specifically.

[Kuldebar]

 

If the author/mod was banned from Nexus then we respect Nexus in all their decisions...

Meh, Nexus can do what it wants, but the focus should be about respecting the author more than anything else. I respect "Nexus" as far as the Nexus website, anything outside of that has nothing further to do with Nexus proclivities.

 

Brownie points aside, the Nexus "jurisdiction" is only relevant to their website, as it should be. I certainly don't let them hold any sway over my modding preferences as if they are some Modding Pontiff with infallible pronouncements.

 

As for other file host locations, the primary concern should be dependent on the mod author's preference, not some mod hosting site no longer involved in the picture in any way.

[macabre]

The problem is that Nexus is the go-to site for Skyrim modding, it is specifically set up to facilitate mod developers and endusers in modding Skyrim. So you can't just ignore Nexus.

 

I wish they would change their policy on removing the mods of banned users, I feel like everyone loses out that way. A lot of great mods would still be on the Nexus if this policy was changed, and why not have them on there! To remove them is just punishing everyone else as well.

Edited March 11, 2014 by macabre

[CJ2311]

The problem is that Nexus is the go-to site for Skyrim modding, it is specifically set up to facilitate mod developers and endusers in modding Skyrim. So you can't just ignore Nexus. I wish they would change their policy on removing the mods of banned users, I feel like everyone loses out that way. A lot of great mods would still be on the Nexus if this policy was changed, and why not have them on there! To remove them is just punishing everyone else as well.

AFAIK, modders are the ones who request that their mods be removed when they're banned (unless the mod is removed for copyright infringement or some other reason)Otherwise the mod just stays there by default.

[Kuldebar]

Skyrim Unbound and the Cathedral versus Parlor related talking-points are what I find "wrong" with that 800 pound gorilla which is the Nexus.