STEP:Mod Stewardship Service: Difference between revisions

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{{PageTitle|title=Mod Stewardship Service|subtitle=Mod maintenance for mod authors|author=Step Modifications}}[[Category:Reference]][[Category:Administration]]
{{PageTitle|title=Mod Stewardship Service|subtitle=Mod maintenance for mod authors|author=Step Modifications}}[[Category:Reference]][[Category:Administration]]


Step's Mod Stewardship Service is very similar to Nexus Mod's "The Care Taker" service, with some differences. The main difference being around licensing. Since Step operates under "[[Guide:Open_Modding|cathedral modding]]" principles, mods provided for stewardship are converted to a cathedral-friendly license.[[CiteRef::CC BY-NC-SA]] By contrast, "The Care Taker" will retain the mod's license "as is," which could lock these mods into the "parlor modding" paradigm forevermore. Which service to choose is for individual Mod Authors to decide; however, Step encourages Authors to "open up" their mod licenses when retiring to allow others in the community to continue using these mods and to service/support them as necessary.
Step's Mod Stewardship Service is very similar to Nexus Mod's "The Care Taker" service, with some licensing differences. Since Step operates under "[[Guide:Open_Modding|cathedral modding]]" principles, licensing for mods/assets/IP (herein termed 'Creations') provided for stewardship are converted to a cathedral-friendly license.[[CiteRef::CC BY-NC-SA]] By contrast, "The Care Taker" will retain the mod's license "as is," which could lock these mods into the "parlor modding" paradigm forevermore. Which service to choose is for individual Creation Authors to decide; however, Step encourages Authors to "open up" their mod licenses when retiring to allow others in the community to continue using these mods and to service/support them as necessary.
: {{fc|salmon|Step will always make every effort to preserve the original intent of a given Creation.}}


Step Modifications is a legally registered nonprofit, which relies on donations and other voluntary forms of community support. By using Step's Mod Stewardship Service over the Nexus Care Taker program, Authors allow Step (and the larger modding community by proxy) to benefit from Donations and Nexus Mod's rewards system.<br>
Step Modifications is a legally registered nonprofit, which relies on donations and other voluntary forms of community support. By using Step's Mod Stewardship Service over the Nexus Care Taker program, Authors allow Step (and the larger modding community by proxy) to benefit from Donations and Nexus Mods' rewards system.<br>
: {{fc|salmon|All Step staff and board members are unpaid volunteers, and Step never collects any membership or advertising revenues.}}
: {{fc|salmon|All Step staff and board members are unpaid volunteers, and Step never collects any membership or advertising revenues. All donations are used for operational and maintenance expenses, and any surplus is retained indefinitely until needed or allocated to another worthy nonprofit.}}
 
==Current Mods Under Stewardship ==


===Current Mods Under Stewardship ===
=== SkyrimLE ===
=== SkyrimLE ===
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/11 Step Skyrim Legendary Edition Guide]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/11 Step Skyrim Legendary Edition - SLE - Guide]


{{fc|red|'''''Retired'''''}}
{{fc|red|'''''Retired'''''}}
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=== SkyrimSE ===
=== SkyrimSE ===
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/56907 A little tree mod WIP Add-On - DynDOLOD 3]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/51135 Aspens Ablaze Add-On - DynDOLOD 3]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/51135 Aspens Ablaze Add-On - DynDOLOD 3]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/40989 Aspen Realism]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/40989 Aspen Realism]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/54754 Better Dynamic Ash SE]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/9121 Better Dynamic Snow SE]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/9121 Better Dynamic Snow SE]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/30917 Dragon Glyphs HD - Fixed]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/30917 Dragon Glyphs HD - Fixed]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/54635 Enhanced Landscapes - Dilon Vul - DynDOLOD 3D Hybrids]
* Enhanced Lighting for ENB (ELE)
* Enhanced Lighting for ENB (ELE)
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/31632 Functional Windmills - Mill Stones]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/31632 Functional Windmills - Mill Stones]
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* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/44272 Lore-Corrected Races]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/44272 Lore-Corrected Races]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/54141 Morekvior-Myrkvior Visual Enhancement-DynDOLOD]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/54141 Morekvior-Myrkvior Visual Enhancement-DynDOLOD]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/54565 Myrkvior - TFoS Add-On - 3D Hybrid Trees SSE - DynDOLOD]
* Relighting Skyrim
* Relighting Skyrim
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/31054 Step Skyrim Special Edition Guide]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/56573 Smooth Shores Patches]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/57446 Snow Elf Ruins Resource Pack]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/31054 Step Skyrim Special Edition - SSE - Guide]


=== Other ===
=== Other Games ===
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/nomanssky/mods/1622 Step No Man's Sky Guide]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/73236 Step Fallout New Vegas - FNV - Guide]
* [https://www.nexusmods.com/nomanssky/mods/1622 Step No Man's Sky - NMS - Guide]
 
Mods not eligible for stewardship include, but are not limited to:
* Mods containing nudity or sexually explicit content
* Mods containing content not relevant to the game subject (e.g., political mods)


==Terms & Conditions==
==Terms & Conditions==
===Transfer of Ownership===
===Transfer of Ownership===
{{Fc|salmon|An Author(s) who elects to place their Creation into Step's ''Mod Stewardship Service'' agrees to the Transfer of Ownership of the <u>original distribution source</u>[[CiteRef::Source mod ownership]] to Step Modifications, herein referred to as "Step".}}
{{Fc|salmon|Authors who elect to place their Creations into Step's ''Mod Stewardship Service'' must authorize the "transfer of ownership" of their administrative rights to any <u>distribution source</u>[[CiteRef::Source mod ownership]] to Step Modifications, herein referred to as "Step".}}
: Transferring the distribution source to Step allows Step to service the Creation and information pertaining to the Creation at the original source. Step does not service a CDN, therefore it's preferable that Step have authority to service all aspects of the mod at the distribution source or even to change that source if/when necessary.
: Transferring the distribution source to Step allows Step to service the Creation and information pertaining to the Creation at the original source. Step does not utilize or operate a content delivery network (CDN); therefore, it is essential that Step have authority to service all aspects of the mod at the distribution source or even to change that source if/when necessary.
# By transferring ownership to Step, Author(s) confirm they have sufficient permissions to enact such Transfer of Ownership for all of the Creation(s) included assets.
# By transferring ownership to Step, Authors affirm that they own the Creation and may enact such Transfer of Ownership.
# Creations hosted by Nexus Mods, the Transfer of Ownership is complete when Nexus-specific "ownership" of the Creation's page is transferred from Author's Nexus Mods user account to the "StepModifications" Nexus Mods user account; thus, allowing Step to govern Donations and other owner-specific administration on Nexus Mods.
# For any Creation hosted by Nexus Mods, the Transfer of Ownership is complete when the mod page is transferred from Author's Nexus Mods user account to the "StepModifications" Nexus Mods user account.
#* Nexus Mods will not complete such transfers without written permission from the Author.
#* Nexus Mods will not complete such transfers without written permission from the ''Page Owner'' (Instructions below).
# Creations hosted on other distribution services will complete Transfer of Ownership to Step on a case-by-case basis, and documented in writing via email and/or any relevant private messaging system that can be used to verify correspondence sources.
# Creations hosted by other distribution sources will complete Transfer of Ownership to Step on a case-by-case basis, and documented in writing via email and/or any relevant private messaging system that can be used to verify correspondence sources.
# Step gains the right to transfer the Creation to a distribution service other than that of the original service, if:
# Step gains the right to transfer the Creation to a distribution service other than that of the original service, if:
## original distribution service does not allow the Transfer of Ownership, or
#* original distribution service does not allow the Transfer of Ownership, or
## original distribution service is no longer available
#* original distribution service is no longer available
# The Author will be added as an administrator, if possible, to distribution page once Transfer of Ownership is complete.
# The Author will be added as an administrator, if possible, to distribution page once Transfer of Ownership is complete.
{{Spoiler|shown=Transfer of Ownership Instructions|hidden=<br/>
# [mailto:admin@stepmodifications.org?Subject=Request%20for%20Mod%20Curation&body=LINKS%20TO%20MOD%20PAGES Contact Step via email], and include the URL to the distribution source page(s) along with a note stating your intentions to transfer your page(s) or assets to [https://www.nexusmods.com/Users/123998143 StepModifications].
# For Nexus Mods Transfer of Ownership, send a group private message to the [https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/user/31179975-pickysaurus/ Nexus Community Manager], z929669, and TechAngel85, stating your intent to transfer your page(s) to [https://www.nexusmods.com/Users/123998143 StepModifications]}}


===Transfer of License===  
===Transfer of License===  
{{Fc|salmon|Mods placed into Step's Mod Stewardship Service shall immediately adopt ''Creative Commons (CC) "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike"''[[CiteRef::CC BY-NC-SA]].}}
{{Fc|salmon|Creations opted into Step's Mod Stewardship Service shall immediately adopt ''Creative Commons (CC) "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike"''[[CiteRef::CC BY-NC-SA]] once the Transfer of Ownership of the distribution source page(s) is completed.}}
: Transferring to this license effectively facilitates "cathedral-friendly" mod governance. This is performed to secure all parties from any legal harm that could otherwise potentially be invoked by the Author, Step or a third party (because of the capacity for any human to behave emotionally and irrationally).
: Transferring to this license effectively facilitates "cathedral-friendly" governance of the Creation(s) by Step and the modding community at large. This is done to prevent legal harm to all parties involved, since the Creation(s) themselves are inherently the property of the Author and licensed accordingly prior to the Transfer of License by proxy of the Transfer of Ownership.
# Any existing licensing will become null and void.
# Any existing licensing will become null and void upon Transfer of Ownership of the distribution source. If the existing license is incompatible with transfer or 'remix' to CC licensing, the Author must modify or re-license any existing Creation license(s) accordingly prior to Transfer of Ownership.
# The Creation(s) is irrevocably tied to the CC license, granting Step's (and everyone's) right to irrevocably "''... remix, adapt, and build upon your work non-commercially, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms.''"
#  Note that the Creation Author can license a separate version of the Creation under any licensing desired, but the version under Stewardship will diverge at that point. In such cases, it is prudent to delineate the official name of the Creation in addition to the versioning.
# The Creation(s) is irrevocably tied to the CC BY-NC-SA license, granting Step's (and everyone's) right to irrevocably "''... remix, adapt, and build upon your work non-commercially, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms.''"
# All Step-mediated derivations of said Creation(s) will retain the CC licensing and will follow Step's [[STEP:Versioning|Versioning Scheme]]
# All Step-mediated derivations of said Creation(s) will retain the CC licensing and will follow Step's [[STEP:Versioning|Versioning Scheme]]
# All derivations by third parties of said Creation(s) must retain the CC licensing
# All derivations by third parties of said Creation(s) will inherently and irrevocably retain the CC licensing


===Donations===
===Donations===
{{Fc|salmon|Donations to Creation(s) distribution page will be directed to the Step Modifications account, if applicable.}}
======Nexus Mods======
# Author(s) authorize Step to receive 100% of Donations from Creation(s); unless other arrangements are made prior to Transfer of Ownership
# Step agrees to refund Donations only to cover business costs including, but not limited to: marketing, promotional events, server expenses, software expenses and upgrades
# {{Fc|highlight|Authors who do not wish for Step to earn Donations from their Creations must state so, in writing, before the Transfer of Ownership. Step will honor all such requests.}}
 
====Nexus Mods====
{{Fc|salmon|If the distribution service is Nexus Mods, the Creation(s) will be opted into Nexus Mods [https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13611 Donation Points system].}}
{{Fc|salmon|If the distribution service is Nexus Mods, the Creation(s) will be opted into Nexus Mods [https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13611 Donation Points system].}}
# Author(s) authorize Step to receive 100% of Donation Points from Creation(s); unless other arrangements are made prior to Transfer of Ownership
# Author(s) authorize Step to receive 100% of Donation Points from Creation(s); unless other arrangements are made prior to Transfer of Ownership
# Step agrees to refund Donation Points only to cover business costs including, but not limited to: marketing, promotional events, server expenses, software expenses and upgrades
# Step will convert Donations to cash at its discretion and only to cover business expenses relating to maintenance and upkeep of Step's public services. In the event that Step dissolves or otherwise ceases its services, all Donation Points will be converted to cash and/or awarded to another qualifying nonprofit of Step's choosing.
# {{Fc|highlight|Authors who do not wish for Step to earn Donation Points from their Creations must state so, in writing, before the Transfer of Ownership. Step will honor all such requests.}}
# Authors who do not wish for Step to earn Donation Points from their Creations must state so, in writing, before the Transfer of Ownership. Step will honor all such requests.


==Signup for Mod Stewardship Service==
======Other Sources======
# [mailto:admin@stepmodifications.org?Subject=Request%20for%20Mod%20Curation&body=LINKS%20TO%20MOD%20PAGES Contact Step via email] with your desire to provide mod(s) for curation
{{Fc|salmon|As applicable, donations to Creation(s) distribution page will be redirected to the Step Modifications business account.}}
# For mods hosted on Nexus Mods, private message the, [https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/user/31179975-pickysaurus/ Nexus Community Manager], who is aware of the StepModifications Nexus Account.
# Author(s) authorize Step to receive 100% of Donations from Creation(s); unless other arrangements are made prior to Transfer of Ownership
#: Inform Nexus Community Manager of your intent to transfer your mod(s) to [https://www.nexusmods.com/Users/123998143 StepModifications]
# Step will refund Donations at its discretion and only to cover business expenses relating to maintenance and upkeep of Step's public services. In the event that Step dissolves or otherwise ceases its services, all Donations will be converted to cash and/or awarded to another qualifying nonprofit of Step's choosing.
# Authors who do not wish for Step to earn Donations from their Creations must state so, in writing, before the Transfer of Ownership. Step will honor all such requests.


Mods not accepted for stewardship include, but are not limited to:
* mods containing nudity or sexually explicit content
* mods containing content not relevant to the game subject (e.g., political mods)
{{#scite:Source mod ownership
{{#scite:Source mod ownership
|type=ref
|type=ref
|citation text=If a mod is hosted on a CDN like Nexus Mods or some other source for distribution or sharing, then Step will need irrevocable authority to govern that source in place of (or in addition to) the Mod Author. Since source policies may differ, transfer of control methods and outcomes may vary and must be avaluated on a case-by-case basis.
|citation text=If a mod is hosted on a CDN like Nexus Mods or some other source for distribution or sharing, then Step will need irrevocable authority to govern that source in place of (or in addition to) the Mod Author. Since source policies may differ, transfer of control methods and outcomes may vary and must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
}}
}}
{{#scite:CC BY-NC-SA
{{#scite:CC BY-NC-SA
|type=web
|type=web
|citation text=See Creative Commons licenses: "[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike]. Thus, upon the licensed authority of proprietary content allowing --in a written statement-- Step to host said content, said content automatically adopt(s) the CC BY-NC-SA license to override any previous license that may pertain. Thus, there will be no restrictions placed on use of said content outside of this license.
|citation text=See Creative Commons licenses: "[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike]. Upon the licensed authority of proprietary content allowing Step --in a written statement-- to host said content, said content automatically adopt(s) the CC BY-NC-SA license to override any previous license that may pertain. Thus, there will be no restrictions placed on use of said content outside of this license. [https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjIo7eE0tvyAhVIZ80KHWQ1DUIQFnoECAkQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcreativecommons.org%2Ffaq%2F&usg=AOvVaw0D4a_j4jxjwPCCIW1ZuiIv CC FAQ]
}}
}}

Revision as of 21:13, December 6, 2021

Delta c.png

Mod Stewardship Service

Mod maintenance for mod authors

by: Step Modifications

Step's Mod Stewardship Service is very similar to Nexus Mod's "The Care Taker" service, with some licensing differences. Since Step operates under "cathedral modding" principles, licensing for mods/assets/IP (herein termed 'Creations') provided for stewardship are converted to a cathedral-friendly license.CC BY-NC-SA By contrast, "The Care Taker" will retain the mod's license "as is," which could lock these mods into the "parlor modding" paradigm forevermore. Which service to choose is for individual Creation Authors to decide; however, Step encourages Authors to "open up" their mod licenses when retiring to allow others in the community to continue using these mods and to service/support them as necessary.

Step will always make every effort to preserve the original intent of a given Creation.

Step Modifications is a legally registered nonprofit, which relies on donations and other voluntary forms of community support. By using Step's Mod Stewardship Service over the Nexus Care Taker program, Authors allow Step (and the larger modding community by proxy) to benefit from Donations and Nexus Mods' rewards system.

All Step staff and board members are unpaid volunteers, and Step never collects any membership or advertising revenues. All donations are used for operational and maintenance expenses, and any surplus is retained indefinitely until needed or allocated to another worthy nonprofit.

Current Mods Under Stewardship[edit | edit source]

SkyrimLE[edit | edit source]

Retired

SkyrimSE[edit | edit source]

Other Games[edit | edit source]

Mods not eligible for stewardship include, but are not limited to:

  • Mods containing nudity or sexually explicit content
  • Mods containing content not relevant to the game subject (e.g., political mods)

Terms & Conditions[edit | edit source]

Transfer of Ownership[edit | edit source]

Authors who elect to place their Creations into Step's Mod Stewardship Service must authorize the "transfer of ownership" of their administrative rights to any distribution sourceSource mod ownership to Step Modifications, herein referred to as "Step".

Transferring the distribution source to Step allows Step to service the Creation and information pertaining to the Creation at the original source. Step does not utilize or operate a content delivery network (CDN); therefore, it is essential that Step have authority to service all aspects of the mod at the distribution source or even to change that source if/when necessary.
  1. By transferring ownership to Step, Authors affirm that they own the Creation and may enact such Transfer of Ownership.
  2. For any Creation hosted by Nexus Mods, the Transfer of Ownership is complete when the mod page is transferred from Author's Nexus Mods user account to the "StepModifications" Nexus Mods user account.
    • Nexus Mods will not complete such transfers without written permission from the Page Owner (Instructions below).
  3. Creations hosted by other distribution sources will complete Transfer of Ownership to Step on a case-by-case basis, and documented in writing via email and/or any relevant private messaging system that can be used to verify correspondence sources.
  4. Step gains the right to transfer the Creation to a distribution service other than that of the original service, if:
    • original distribution service does not allow the Transfer of Ownership, or
    • original distribution service is no longer available
  5. The Author will be added as an administrator, if possible, to distribution page once Transfer of Ownership is complete.
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Transfer of Ownership Instructions


  1. Contact Step via email, and include the URL to the distribution source page(s) along with a note stating your intentions to transfer your page(s) or assets to StepModifications.
  2. For Nexus Mods Transfer of Ownership, send a group private message to the Nexus Community Manager, z929669, and TechAngel85, stating your intent to transfer your page(s) to StepModifications

Transfer of License[edit | edit source]

Creations opted into Step's Mod Stewardship Service shall immediately adopt Creative Commons (CC) "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike"CC BY-NC-SA once the Transfer of Ownership of the distribution source page(s) is completed.

Transferring to this license effectively facilitates "cathedral-friendly" governance of the Creation(s) by Step and the modding community at large. This is done to prevent legal harm to all parties involved, since the Creation(s) themselves are inherently the property of the Author and licensed accordingly prior to the Transfer of License by proxy of the Transfer of Ownership.
  1. Any existing licensing will become null and void upon Transfer of Ownership of the distribution source. If the existing license is incompatible with transfer or 'remix' to CC licensing, the Author must modify or re-license any existing Creation license(s) accordingly prior to Transfer of Ownership.
  2. Note that the Creation Author can license a separate version of the Creation under any licensing desired, but the version under Stewardship will diverge at that point. In such cases, it is prudent to delineate the official name of the Creation in addition to the versioning.
  3. The Creation(s) is irrevocably tied to the CC BY-NC-SA license, granting Step's (and everyone's) right to irrevocably "... remix, adapt, and build upon your work non-commercially, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms."
  4. All Step-mediated derivations of said Creation(s) will retain the CC licensing and will follow Step's Versioning Scheme
  5. All derivations by third parties of said Creation(s) will inherently and irrevocably retain the CC licensing

Donations[edit | edit source]

Nexus Mods[edit | edit source]

If the distribution service is Nexus Mods, the Creation(s) will be opted into Nexus Mods Donation Points system.

  1. Author(s) authorize Step to receive 100% of Donation Points from Creation(s); unless other arrangements are made prior to Transfer of Ownership
  2. Step will convert Donations to cash at its discretion and only to cover business expenses relating to maintenance and upkeep of Step's public services. In the event that Step dissolves or otherwise ceases its services, all Donation Points will be converted to cash and/or awarded to another qualifying nonprofit of Step's choosing.
  3. Authors who do not wish for Step to earn Donation Points from their Creations must state so, in writing, before the Transfer of Ownership. Step will honor all such requests.
Other Sources[edit | edit source]

As applicable, donations to Creation(s) distribution page will be redirected to the Step Modifications business account.

  1. Author(s) authorize Step to receive 100% of Donations from Creation(s); unless other arrangements are made prior to Transfer of Ownership
  2. Step will refund Donations at its discretion and only to cover business expenses relating to maintenance and upkeep of Step's public services. In the event that Step dissolves or otherwise ceases its services, all Donations will be converted to cash and/or awarded to another qualifying nonprofit of Step's choosing.
  3. Authors who do not wish for Step to earn Donations from their Creations must state so, in writing, before the Transfer of Ownership. Step will honor all such requests.

{{#scite:Source mod ownership |type=ref |citation text=If a mod is hosted on a CDN like Nexus Mods or some other source for distribution or sharing, then Step will need irrevocable authority to govern that source in place of (or in addition to) the Mod Author. Since source policies may differ, transfer of control methods and outcomes may vary and must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. }} {{#scite:CC BY-NC-SA |type=web |citation text=See Creative Commons licenses: "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Upon the licensed authority of proprietary content allowing Step --in a written statement-- to host said content, said content automatically adopt(s) the CC BY-NC-SA license to override any previous license that may pertain. Thus, there will be no restrictions placed on use of said content outside of this license. CC FAQ }}