Replace AUTHORS file by authors named in "SPDX-FileCopyrightText" fields

[buhtz]

Hello,
and please take my apologize for creating a separate issue beside PR #2396 . In the first place I didn't realize that this topics could be handled in conjunction.

This issue is about the AUTHORS file.

backintime/AUTHORS

Lines 1 to 9 in 26786cf

	Oprea Dan <dan@le-web.org>
	Bart de Koning <bratdaking@gmail.com>
	Richard Bailey <rmjb@mail.com>
	Germar Reitze <germar.reitze@gmail.com>
	Taylor Raack <taylor@raack.info>
	Christian Buhtz <c.buhtz@posteo.jp>
	Michael Büker
	Jürgen Altfeld
	…as well as many others involved, whose contributions make this project possible and help it continue to grow and evolve.

That content is used in the about dialog for example.

It is obvious that that list of authors is not complete. I also don't want to somehow weight the contribution of several authors. The "big names" are mentioned in the HISTORY file and also in the German Wikipedia. The English Wikipedia also has an entry but the moderators rejected the History section.

With respect to all authors and contributors I would suggest the following solution:

A helper script extracting all authors from all SPDX meta data (field SPDX-FileCopyrightText), sort them alphabetically and use that list as content for the AUTHORS section in the about dialog.

What do you think about it? Technically I still do something similar with the translator names.

Regards,
Christian

Individuals affected by this issue

• Oprea Dan - I was unable to find or contact him until we reactivated the project in 2022.
• Bart de Koning @Bratdaking
• Richard Bailey (Unknown nick. I'll inform him via Email.)
• Germar Reitze @Germar
• Taylor Raack @dinoboy197
• Christian Buhtz @buhtz
• Michael Büker @emtiu
• Jürgen Altfeld @aryoda

[emtiu]

I like the idea. The dialog should specify that the list is alphabetical.

[hannes101]

I just wanted to mention that the years also need adjustment. I noticed it today, when checking the new build in fedora.

[buhtz]

Which years?

[hannes101]

Shouldn't the years in the copyright area also include the current year?

[buhtz]

Shouldn't the years in the copyright area also include the current year?

Ah I see. No, this is not the case. I am aware that this is the usual habit but does not make much sense by law. I can recommend this blog article about that and similar issues

How and why to properly write copyright statements in your code …and probably more than what you ever wanted to know about them