What's a good license to use for an open source web app?

Question

What I mean is that it's open source in that the source is viewable, modifiable, and redistributable by anyone, but changes do not have to be contributed back (as is the case with GPL)? I've heard the traditional software licenses are problematic for web applications as well.

I believe I want the web equivalent of the Apache license, but I'm not sure. Any advice would be appreciated. Attribution is not important to me, but it is a very small plus if it comes down to it.

Answer 1

I believe most BSD/Apache style licenses would work.

The usual problem with web applications only applies when you try to do the opposite - force the recipients to release changes to the users (which is what AGPL tries to do), because a web application does not depend on releasing a binary to the users, which is the usual trigger on which licenses such as the GPL depend on.

Answer 2

Consider the MIT license. It is arguably the most used license in Ruby gems.