The purpose of this thread is to compile and post fixes for the recent weather widget problem for anyone who has the patience to implement them. I'll try to edit this post to keep it up-to-date.
Edit 7/10: Important information for DX authors.
Edit 7/12: Added clarification to 2a for DX users - ZubaZ
Edit 7/13 : Removed fixes due to legal ambiguity
Contents
1. The Problem
2. The Fixes
e. Disable the Weather
3. For Authors
a. Using The Weather Channel Feeds
b. Using Another Source
c. Weather & DX Themes
If your weather widget has suddenly stopped working properly, it is likely because the source, Weather.com, has changed their site to prohibit unlicensed usage. The majority of weather widgets on this site were built with the same code which is now outdated.
Symptoms of this particular problem are:
-You get a message saying the location is invalid-When you try to clear this message it keeps popping up
2. The Fixes (as far as we know)
*** UPDATE 7/13/09 ***
I have tried to find more information and understand the legalities of the TWC XOAP data feed services and due to ambiguity I have removed these fixes so as not to put anyone else at risk of violating known or unknown weather.com license agreements.
A very good read on the situation with weather.com and their feeds can be found here: http://www.rainmeter.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=615
At the present time the only remaining option for end-users is to disable and/or discontinue using the weather widgets.
E. DISABLE THE WEATHER:
If you are using a combo widget or theme and would just like to disable the weather parts read below.
There are a few objects that need to be "turned off". To do this you will open the widget/theme in DX Builder (be sure to turn off internet connection first,) find the object, right-click and uncheck Script Enabled.
These objects may be several of the following. (You can ctrl + click to select more than one object in the object list, then r-click and uncheck Script Enabled.)
Version 1:
"weather_image""weather_temp""weather_location"
Version 2:
"kdockweatherimage" (and/or "kdockweatherimage2")"Kdockweatherlocation" (and/or "kdockweatherlocation2")"kdockweathertemp" (and/or "kdockweathertemp2")"kdockforecastimage1" (through "kdockforecastimage5")
Version 3:
"Weather_Output""Weather_Script""WeatherFunction_ToggleUnits""CUI_SCripts""WeatherFunction_SetLocation"
A Notice From the WC Staff:
See here for more details.
Q: Can't I fix and reupload my widgets?
It's fairly certain that our widgets are not in compliance with The Weather Channel's license agreements. Among other things, a widget using TWC's feed now needs to include their logo and 5 advertisement links (to see the full details get registered and download the SDK file included in your confirmation email.)
This is aside from the fact that most of these fixes hard code YOUR license ID and KEY, and you CAN NOT allow others to use these; uploading a fixed widget with your ID and KEY is in violation of the license agreement.
The short answer is no. We can't use these fixes and then reupload our widgets.
Q: What CAN I do?
Right now you need to archive your skins before they are deleted from the galleries.
Q: So that's it? No more weather widgets?
Not necessarily. We have two options: A. Re-build our widgets in compliance with TWC's license agreement or B. find another data source.
A. USING THE WEATHER CHANNEL FEEDS
If you are looking to rebuild your widget in compliance with TWC's agreement you'll need to do the following:
- Register, download and thoroughly read the SDK file included in your confirmation email- Comply- Add a function to allow the user to input their license key and partner ID.- Add a link to the registration page so users know where to get the key and ID.- Be mindful of the fact that TWC could change their site again and consider putting contingencies in place to prevent further headaches. (i.e., Use and external script that can be copied onto the user's computer, and have as little code in the actual objects.)
To be clear, anyone looking to make a weather widget using weather.com services MUST be in compliance with their terms of service and license agreements.
B. USING ANOTHER SOURCE suggestions by Zubaz
If you decide to part ways with TWC, here are some alternative weather feed sources to consider (You will need to abide by their Terms of Service as well):
- Wunderground.com -- LINK
- Yahoo! -- LINK
- rssweather.com -- LINK
Again, I strongly advise using an external script to save yourself (and by extension your end-users) from any headaches in future.
C. WEATHER & DX THEMES
If you are a DesktopX theme author, the best advice for now is to exclude the weather widget from your theme and consider uploading weather as a separate widget in future.
That's all for now...
Leave questions, comments, and your experience reports below.
i did that and got an error message.
sViz Whoop Hot Diggity Dawg on a cold northerly wind frosted Tuesday, I think I love you, no more to be said, thats it, I have asked my Missus if I can marry you, and she said positely NO!!!! with a hard slap, but we can still elope Ha Ha Ha Ha thanks so much for putting all of this together, I missed my weather widgets terribly, now I have my beloveds back, cos also they make for great screenshooting props Ha Ha Ha Ha thanks a lot mate, you rock
If you are interested in another feed source you can try http://wiki.wunderground.com/index.php/API_-_XML
It still requiers the logo displayed but it does not require the links.
And another: http://developer.yahoo.com/weather/
Terms of use at the bottom of the page (can use text or image)
There are some themes that will run,as they give the option to disable the script during loading.
I made a list of the ones I have loaded successfully out of my collection here.
And to everyone working on alternate solutions THANK YOU.
Thanks for the links Zu. Now we just need more DX coders willing to take on these alternatives.
Yet one more option:
http://www.rssweather.com/wx/us/mi/plymouth/wx.php / http://www.rssweather.com/wx/us/mi/plymouth/rss.php
"Web Site Usage - If you are using the feed on your web site, you are required to maintain a link to rssWeather.com and hamweather.com"
Not so bad and many global sites.
I agree. I'm willing to finish up the one for TWC, which is around 90% now, and then take a stab at Wunderground.
If any other authors are going to take a stab at it, I HIGHLY recommend using an external script that saves to a location on the user's computer, and having as little code as possible in the actual objects.
So just replace xoap to xml instead.. That's all I did and it works..
Updated with important information for DX authors.
How can I say THINGS! Man I had one that I could'nt even find here anymore (shows big sun, big moon) I new nothing on how to fix it Yet with this thread I fixed it and turned it into a wedget!
Edit: does anyone know if I need to fix this? "http://www.w3.weather.com/weather/alerts/?alertId=" & Object.PersistStorage("swid") & "&dbSeq=null"
it dont seem to work.. I lol have no clue.. thanks..
I'm outside the U.S. so option B is out. I panic when it comes to script but the weather widgys were busted anyway, so with nothing to lose I tried fix A (Neophil78) on a couple I regularly use and darned if it didn't work !!!Thanks sViz and Neophil78!!!
This, in my opinion, is the only way to go. I am looking at this as a learning opportunity. Any weather feed we use can change their TOS at any time. I am no longer going to be dependent on a feed that may change. I think that DX Themes without weather widgets incorporated into them is the way to go. Weather widgets can always be added later. That way, if this happens again in the future, theme authors won't have to redo their work again, and the end user can simply not use weather until it is resolved again. But their themes will still load. I also think, from a DX theme author's point of view, that sViz's suggestion of an external script is great.
I would also like to go on record as saying that I do not see this as Stardock/WC's fault, I do not see it as their responsibility to fix. As Zubaz and others have stated, Stardock cannot control weather.com. And fixing this is on us, the authors, and scripters/coders. It most definitely is a *itch, but, it is what it is, and we have to deal with it. I for one don't wanna just throw 4 years of learning to skin out the window and say I'm done. So, we move on.
There is license text at the top of that feed. If you use the feed you have to comply to the license
Didn't see any license text. can you give us the link to it ?
double post
Well, whilst I agree with this to a point I can't say I agree wholehearted. I probably created one of the (if not the) earliest weather scripts using weather.com. At that time it was clear from the content of the feed returned that there were potential licencing issues. I made this crystal clear to some very senior members of Stardock staff who made it clear that they didn't think it was much of an issue. As weather.com based objects proliferated, I repeated this concern and still no action was taken.
Within the past year I raised strong concerns that skins were being sold that were based on my weather scripts. Whilst I had no issue about people making financial gain from them, I was very concerned about potential legal implications. Again, the response was not to act.
As such, when developing DeskNotes I made the decision to enter into my own commercial relationship with WeatherBug. Whilst this significantly reduces the revenue I get from sales, it is legal.
I feel sorry for the community in this situation. I am also disappointed that Stardock chose not to act on this a long time ago when then were warned, particularly when commercial widgets exhibited the problem. I'm afraid I don't think they can totally be absolved of responsibility.
I am also disappointed that there was no broad communication to members about this issue. I was personally advised by sViz which I really appreciate, because I don't have much time to keep track of things on WC anymore. However, there may simply be people on extended vacations that don't realise there is an issue and come back to find their work deleted!
I, for one, will not be updating my weather scripts because there are dozens of them and I simply don't have the time, nor the inclination. I'm afraid thinks like this are precisely why I'm skinning less and less!
I just want to thank all of you that spent time on this trying to find a fix...I appreciate the effort. I have no knowledge of coding so it will be easier for me to just delete my work but I wanted to thank you all.
.........."Never underestimate the capacity of other people to let you down." And it rings true again! *shaking my head*
Let's think about this.
For now it seems weather.com have recently changed their conditions of use. Why wanting to delete widgets / themes which have been done BEFORE these new rules ? new rules are not retroactive aren't they ?
Though Stardock have not to delete anything done in past. They have just to leave them alone. Though members can continue to download them. OK they won't work in the forms they are, but it will be the problem of each downloader to do what's necessary to make them work using fixes which have been purposed (or fixes which will be)
Is this not enough simple as this ?
Well I don't know, seems like new people would be downloading them and they wouldn't work, and they'd be posting in the forums and contacting support, and getting annoyed. Then they'd be saying "None of these work, why didn't somebody take them down, they shouldn't be here." From their perspective I can't say I'd blame them, it would be frustrating and disappointing, especially to someone who wasn't familiar with the story.
I'm inclined to agree with just dumping them and being done with it. Seems like leaving them out there would turn into a ball and chain.
(edit: reading this now it comes off a little colder than I intended for it to. I'm a little tired, but anyway that's the jist of how I see it. And then there's probably some issue with leaving them out there and having the "modifications" out here telling people how to use them, even though they don't have the logo and the advertising etc etc and on it goes...)
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