[NoboruWataya]

> Why "PirateWeather"? I've always thought that the HRRR model was pronounced the same way as the classic pirate "ARRR". Also, there is one company out there that thinks APIs can be copyrighted, which might apply here.

This answers the first question I had upon seeing the name, which was, is it free, open, documented and legal? Based on the above the answer seems to be "probably".

Very commendable effort, and I hope the project can last. It seems to be very difficult to maintain a free and reliable weather API so hopefully the dev is not biting off more than he can chew.

[kxrm]

> is it free, open, documented and legal?

I think it says something that we live in a world where NOAA data could be seen as an underground or less than legal means of getting the weather.

Perhaps AccuWeather has been successful in their campaign to keep free weather data as obscure as possible.

[qup]

I think it's more about it having "pirate" in the name that makes one question its legality.

[aliqot]

Perhaps the author has a peg leg, a parrot, or a penchant for API plunder.

[867-5309]

or they charge $3.14k/hr

[aliqot]

great, now that song is stuck in my head all day long. well played.

[bonestamp2]

I wish the NOAA API was reliable. I'd pay for it if they could make it reliable (and they could probably make it reliable if they charged for it).

[alexander0042]

I'm the dev behind this, so always great to hear things like this! I really struggled to try to come up with a name. My first thought was "Bright Ground" (opposite of Dark Sky), but that seemed a little too on the nose. Luckily, the legal aspect of this (I'm in the clear!) was pretty well settled after the final Oracle v. Google case, but at the time was a big enough deal that it seemed relevant, and the HRRR model was another plus. I should update that README though, since it's now very definitely legal!

[PanMan]

Just my 2 cents: It's on my todo list to look for a weather provider, but the "pirate" in the name at first made me discard this: I guess the pirate bay made the word pirate something less-legal sounding, not something I'd want for a business. Happy I did open it, and no problem to work with a pirate brand, but wanted to notice it might be negative branding. Personally I quite like the Bright Ground name joke (and I don't think it will cause legal troubles, but IANAL).

[stefanka]

Maybe use an synonym. 'Corsair weather', 'privateer weather' ?

[calebegg]

Lol I named my version "Bright Earth" as an opposition to dark sky (brightearth.app)

[wumms]

Error after receiving permission to get location:

Firefox:

  brightearth.app:6:4322  
    XML Parsing Error: mismatched tag. Expected: </input>.
    Location: https://brightearth.app/
    Line Number 6, Column 4322: 2

  fetchWeather.ts:31:31
    Uncaught (in promise) TypeError: l.querySelector(...) is null
      g fetchWeather.ts:31

Safari:

  App.tsx:46
    [Error] Unhandled Promise Rejection: TypeError: null is not an object
    (evaluating 'l.querySelector("creation-date").textContent')
      (anonymous function) (index.2994085b.js:139:2367)
      asyncFunctionResume
      (anonymous function)
      promiseReactionJobWithoutPromise
      promiseReactionJob

[calebegg]

Sometimes the NOAA APIs don't return data according to the usual structure. I can't consistently reproduce it. If you can please let me know!

[dt3ft]

I’m out of the loop. Why would this not be legal? Are you using Oracle technology?

[hobofan]

> built as a compatible alternative to the Dark Sky API

OP is talking about the copyrightability of API's (which they are clearly exposed to as they built a drop-in replacement). The relevant case: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_LLC_v._Oracle_America,_....

[toyg]

Oracle argued that interface calls were copyrightable. They lost anyway.

[jacurtis]

I agree, PirateWeather seems like a misbrand here. When I read it, i thought it was stealing weather data or something. On the web, the term "pirate" generally doesn't mean good things. This name almost implies that it is illegal or something.

I'm imagining designing a software product around this and presenting it to a C-Level, explaining that we use "PirateWeather" and I think I'm going to get grilled with lots of questions and concerns based on the name alone.

This is a good service and should be "branded" with a better name. Maybe a play on the whole DarkSky name like LightSky or "Sunset" which works exceptionally well since DarkSky was sunset by Apple. Maybe StarrySky, LateSky, NewSky.

I am usually someone who says that names don't matter as much as people think they do, but PirateWeather just seems like a huge hit in the wrong direction. But the product is solid so maybe it can survive despite the name.

[alexander0042]

I'm the dev for this, so can shed some light on this! Weather Underground was a pretty out there choice- I guess the kind of people who like putting together weather APIs aren't great at naming things. I considered "Bright Ground", and still have the domain name for it, so maybe it'd be worth spinning up another API endpoint/ branding that uses that and has a more commercial focus, keeping Pirate Weather as the free and open source branding.

[guntherhermann]

FWIW I love the name Pirate Weather. Thanks for the work!

[dbuder]

Keep the name - this is not vc bait

[argc]

I like the name pirate weather a lot.

[Bloating]

wunderground.com has existed for a long time. Defining feature it is can crowd source weather

[phpisthebest]

That used to be the defining feature. IBM has killed the community and put alot of restrictions on the data

[midoridensha]

I wonder if they put the codebase into ClearCase too.

[maphew]

Rrr-mate, Rmate, Are-matey,

And variants thereof perhaps

[nivenkos]

Weather Underground would be hilarious.

[zerocrates]

Not only is it already a thing, IBM of all people own them now.

[astrange]

We took the real Weather Underground so unseriously that half of them became college professors and one of them was on Jeopardy, seems consistent.

[ummonk]

That would actually be a great idea.

[phpisthebest]

>>I'm imagining designing a software product around this and presenting it to a C-Level

More likely

1. they will not ask

2. If they ask they will care

3. If they care they will not with a short explanation

this seem like a non-issue, and if the biggest thing you have to worry about is some C Level with a stick up their ..... well I think you have nothing to worry about then

the name is fine...

[holoduke]

Maybe most of the good products come out of places without too many C level types :)

[feanaro]

> On the web, the term "pirate" generally doesn't mean good things.

Maybe we're on different webs, but in my mind "pirate" has good connotations. As in, a rebel, a free spirit, a fighter of oppression.

[midoridensha]

>On the web, the term "pirate" generally doesn't mean good things.

That depends on who you ask... People who are fans of, e.g., ThePirateBay probably would disagree with you.

Also, there's a shipping service called PirateShip that's totally legal (it's basically a frontend to USPS shipping labels). The website is pretty amusing with the "Arr, matey!" stuff.

[jameshart]

I guess at least it’s a step up from the time someone was trying to brand a grassroots weather data collection effort and decided to name it after a terrorist organization.

I’m a massive fan of - and indeed contribute data to - the weather underground project, but the naming has always made me a little uncomfortable.

[lawtalkinghuman]

> I'm imagining designing a software product around this and presenting it to a C-Level

Alternatively, imagine what the world would be like if we spent less time thinking about what C-suite executives think.

[ferdek]

Weatharrr!

[paxys]

> Based on the above the answer seems to be "probably".

Why do you draw that conclusion? It seemed to be making a joke about the fact that APIs are NOT copyrightable and considered fair use. The site is pretty clearly fully legal.