{
  "id": 7655,
  "title": "Clarification on use of software",
  "url": "/competitions/acquire-valued-shoppers-challenge/discussion/7655",
  "author_name": "",
  "post_date": "2014-04-10T22:29:41.830Z",
  "votes": null,
  "comment_count": 10,
  "views": 3763,
  "content": "<p>Can anyone clarify the rule on software use for the competition. Can I for example use open source tool such as weka or rapid miner and submit results? do I need to code the model?&nbsp;</p>",
  "messages": [
    {
      "id": "41687",
      "postDate": "04/10/2014 22:29:41",
      "content": "<p>Can anyone clarify the rule on software use for the competition. Can I for example use open source tool such as weka or rapid miner and submit results? do I need to code the model?&nbsp;</p>",
      "rawMarkdown": "",
      "votes": null
    },
    {
      "id": "41698",
      "postDate": "04/11/2014 05:45:59",
      "content": "<p>You can try anything, with any software.</p>",
      "rawMarkdown": "",
      "votes": null
    },
    {
      "id": "41726",
      "postDate": "04/11/2014 15:17:15",
      "content": "<p>I guess this is about this:</p>\n<p>A Submission will be ineligible to win a prize if it was developed using code containing or depending on software licensed under an open source license:</p>\n<p>* other than an Open Source Initiative-approved license (see &lt;http://opensource.org/&gt;); or<br>* an open source license that prohibits commercial use.<br><br>Pretty much all the open source software you're likely going to use is &quot;Open Source Initiative-approved&quot;. Most will allow commercial use. Might be handy if someone could confirm that GPL licenses are okay though.</p>",
      "rawMarkdown": "",
      "votes": null
    },
    {
      "id": "41888",
      "postDate": "04/14/2014 17:03:55",
      "content": "<p>Thanks Jonaz - yes, you've pretty much summed it up. In general, unless the competition rules prevent you from using a particular type of open-source license (e.g. prevents a GPL, etc) or using it in a specific way, then you're free to use it in the competition (provided of course you yourself meet the license requirements). Of course you should always check the rules to see whether there are any restrictions.</p>",
      "rawMarkdown": "",
      "votes": null
    },
    {
      "id": "41889",
      "postDate": "04/14/2014 17:06:20",
      "content": "<p>To be sure ...</p>\n<p>- writing own code in any language like c/c++, java, php :) ...</p>\n<p>- using open source software like mySQL, postgreSQL, maxima (CAS) ...</p>\n<p>- increasing calculation power with every hardware you can get ....</p>\n<p>is all ok, but ...</p>\n<p>- using commercial software like MS-SQL-Server ...</p>\n<p>- using outside data like a calender (holdidays) ...</p>\n\n<p>is not allowed, right?</p>\n\n<p>And finally you have to be able to explain and reproduce your solution?</p>",
      "rawMarkdown": "",
      "votes": null
    },
    {
      "id": "42624",
      "postDate": "04/21/2014 17:55:39",
      "content": "<p>Hi online, here's some clarification on your follow-up question:</p>\n<p>[quote=online;41889]</p>\n<p>- using open source software like mySQL, postgreSQL, maxima (CAS) ...</p>\n<p>...is all ok</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p><strong>Clarification:</strong>&nbsp;It is ok, as long as that open-source software has a type of open source license that is approved by the&nbsp;Open Source Initiative website (see the link&nbsp;on the Rules page).</p>\n<p>[quote=online;41889]</p>\n<p>- using commercial software like MS-SQL-Server ...</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p><strong>Clarification:</strong> this is OK to use (it is not prohibited in the rules). Of course, you must have a legal license yourself to use that software on your own.</p>\n<p>[quote=online;41889]</p>\n<p>- using outside data like a calender (holdidays) ...</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p><strong>Clarification:</strong> this is not ok to use. The Rules page for this competition does have a rule for No External data.</p>",
      "rawMarkdown": "",
      "votes": null
    },
    {
      "id": "42627",
      "postDate": "04/21/2014 18:20:45",
      "content": "<p>[quote=Ramzi R;42624]</p>\n<p><strong>Clarification:</strong> this is not ok to use. The Rules page for this competition does have a rule for No External data.</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p>Really? &nbsp;It's not ok to make a dummy variable for holidays? &nbsp;What about a dummy variable for day of the week? &nbsp;Like holiday, day of week is not explicitly provided, yet it is implied by the offer date variable.</p>",
      "rawMarkdown": "",
      "votes": null
    },
    {
      "id": "42629",
      "postDate": "04/21/2014 18:26:36",
      "content": "<p>I'm just referencing the rules here: &nbsp;the rules prevent accessing an outside data set. I did not say you could not create dummy variables for holidays, or day of the week.</p>\n<p><br>Thanks!</p>",
      "rawMarkdown": "",
      "votes": null
    },
    {
      "id": "42630",
      "postDate": "04/21/2014 18:28:32",
      "content": "<p>[quote=Ramzi R;42629]</p>\n<p>I'm just referencing the rules here: &nbsp;the rules prevent accessing an outside data set. I did not say you could not create dummy variables for holidays, or day of the week.</p>\n<p><br>Thanks!</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n\n<p>Ok. &nbsp;So I could use an outside calendar to determine which days are holidays, and which days are Mondays?</p>",
      "rawMarkdown": "",
      "votes": null
    },
    {
      "id": "42700",
      "postDate": "04/22/2014 13:14:47",
      "content": "<p>[quote=Zach;42630]</p>\n<p>Ok. &nbsp;So I could use an outside calendar to determine which days are holidays, and which days are Mondays?</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p>This is fine. The external data rule is meant to prevent someone from gaining an edge via an external source of training data. We can't ask you to ignore holidays any more than we can ask you to derive all of your&nbsp;math from Euclid's five postulates.&nbsp;Being cognizant&nbsp;of holidays is&nbsp;more&nbsp;domain expertise&nbsp;than it is external data, in the eyes of Kaggle law.</p>",
      "rawMarkdown": "",
      "votes": null
    },
    {
      "id": "42724",
      "postDate": "04/22/2014 16:27:12",
      "content": "<p>[quote=William Cukierski;42700]</p>\n<p>This is fine. The external data rule is meant to prevent someone from gaining an edge via an external source of training data. We can't ask you to ignore holidays any more than we can ask you to derive all of your&nbsp;math from Euclid's five postulates.&nbsp;Being cognizant&nbsp;of holidays is&nbsp;more&nbsp;domain expertise&nbsp;than it is external data, in the eyes of Kaggle law.</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p>That's what I thought, but thank you for making it clear.</p>",
      "rawMarkdown": "",
      "votes": null
    }
  ],
  "comments": [
    {
      "id": 41698,
      "author_name": "lavizhao",
      "author_url": "",
      "post_date": "04/11/2014 05:45:59",
      "content": "<p>You can try anything, with any software.</p>",
      "votes": null,
      "replies": []
    },
    {
      "id": 41726,
      "author_name": "",
      "author_url": "",
      "post_date": "04/11/2014 15:17:15",
      "content": "<p>I guess this is about this:</p>\n<p>A Submission will be ineligible to win a prize if it was developed using code containing or depending on software licensed under an open source license:</p>\n<p>* other than an Open Source Initiative-approved license (see &lt;http://opensource.org/&gt;); or<br>* an open source license that prohibits commercial use.<br><br>Pretty much all the open source software you're likely going to use is &quot;Open Source Initiative-approved&quot;. Most will allow commercial use. Might be handy if someone could confirm that GPL licenses are okay though.</p>",
      "votes": null,
      "replies": []
    },
    {
      "id": 41888,
      "author_name": "rjrest",
      "author_url": "",
      "post_date": "04/14/2014 17:03:55",
      "content": "<p>Thanks Jonaz - yes, you've pretty much summed it up. In general, unless the competition rules prevent you from using a particular type of open-source license (e.g. prevents a GPL, etc) or using it in a specific way, then you're free to use it in the competition (provided of course you yourself meet the license requirements). Of course you should always check the rules to see whether there are any restrictions.</p>",
      "votes": null,
      "replies": []
    },
    {
      "id": 41889,
      "author_name": "online",
      "author_url": "",
      "post_date": "04/14/2014 17:06:20",
      "content": "<p>To be sure ...</p>\n<p>- writing own code in any language like c/c++, java, php :) ...</p>\n<p>- using open source software like mySQL, postgreSQL, maxima (CAS) ...</p>\n<p>- increasing calculation power with every hardware you can get ....</p>\n<p>is all ok, but ...</p>\n<p>- using commercial software like MS-SQL-Server ...</p>\n<p>- using outside data like a calender (holdidays) ...</p>\n\n<p>is not allowed, right?</p>\n\n<p>And finally you have to be able to explain and reproduce your solution?</p>",
      "votes": null,
      "replies": []
    },
    {
      "id": 42624,
      "author_name": "rjrest",
      "author_url": "",
      "post_date": "04/21/2014 17:55:39",
      "content": "<p>Hi online, here's some clarification on your follow-up question:</p>\n<p>[quote=online;41889]</p>\n<p>- using open source software like mySQL, postgreSQL, maxima (CAS) ...</p>\n<p>...is all ok</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p><strong>Clarification:</strong>&nbsp;It is ok, as long as that open-source software has a type of open source license that is approved by the&nbsp;Open Source Initiative website (see the link&nbsp;on the Rules page).</p>\n<p>[quote=online;41889]</p>\n<p>- using commercial software like MS-SQL-Server ...</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p><strong>Clarification:</strong> this is OK to use (it is not prohibited in the rules). Of course, you must have a legal license yourself to use that software on your own.</p>\n<p>[quote=online;41889]</p>\n<p>- using outside data like a calender (holdidays) ...</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p><strong>Clarification:</strong> this is not ok to use. The Rules page for this competition does have a rule for No External data.</p>",
      "votes": null,
      "replies": []
    },
    {
      "id": 42627,
      "author_name": "zachmayer",
      "author_url": "",
      "post_date": "04/21/2014 18:20:45",
      "content": "<p>[quote=Ramzi R;42624]</p>\n<p><strong>Clarification:</strong> this is not ok to use. The Rules page for this competition does have a rule for No External data.</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p>Really? &nbsp;It's not ok to make a dummy variable for holidays? &nbsp;What about a dummy variable for day of the week? &nbsp;Like holiday, day of week is not explicitly provided, yet it is implied by the offer date variable.</p>",
      "votes": null,
      "replies": []
    },
    {
      "id": 42629,
      "author_name": "rjrest",
      "author_url": "",
      "post_date": "04/21/2014 18:26:36",
      "content": "<p>I'm just referencing the rules here: &nbsp;the rules prevent accessing an outside data set. I did not say you could not create dummy variables for holidays, or day of the week.</p>\n<p><br>Thanks!</p>",
      "votes": null,
      "replies": []
    },
    {
      "id": 42630,
      "author_name": "zachmayer",
      "author_url": "",
      "post_date": "04/21/2014 18:28:32",
      "content": "<p>[quote=Ramzi R;42629]</p>\n<p>I'm just referencing the rules here: &nbsp;the rules prevent accessing an outside data set. I did not say you could not create dummy variables for holidays, or day of the week.</p>\n<p><br>Thanks!</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n\n<p>Ok. &nbsp;So I could use an outside calendar to determine which days are holidays, and which days are Mondays?</p>",
      "votes": null,
      "replies": []
    },
    {
      "id": 42700,
      "author_name": "wcukierski",
      "author_url": "",
      "post_date": "04/22/2014 13:14:47",
      "content": "<p>[quote=Zach;42630]</p>\n<p>Ok. &nbsp;So I could use an outside calendar to determine which days are holidays, and which days are Mondays?</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p>This is fine. The external data rule is meant to prevent someone from gaining an edge via an external source of training data. We can't ask you to ignore holidays any more than we can ask you to derive all of your&nbsp;math from Euclid's five postulates.&nbsp;Being cognizant&nbsp;of holidays is&nbsp;more&nbsp;domain expertise&nbsp;than it is external data, in the eyes of Kaggle law.</p>",
      "votes": null,
      "replies": []
    },
    {
      "id": 42724,
      "author_name": "zachmayer",
      "author_url": "",
      "post_date": "04/22/2014 16:27:12",
      "content": "<p>[quote=William Cukierski;42700]</p>\n<p>This is fine. The external data rule is meant to prevent someone from gaining an edge via an external source of training data. We can't ask you to ignore holidays any more than we can ask you to derive all of your&nbsp;math from Euclid's five postulates.&nbsp;Being cognizant&nbsp;of holidays is&nbsp;more&nbsp;domain expertise&nbsp;than it is external data, in the eyes of Kaggle law.</p>\n<p>[/quote]</p>\n<p>That's what I thought, but thank you for making it clear.</p>",
      "votes": null,
      "replies": []
    }
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