Some Frequently Asked Questions

 

·       Why is the Willi Hennig Society subsidizing the program TNT?

 

The Willi Hennig Society has the aim of promoting studies in systematics and phylogenetics.  Although likelihood methods have become very common in the last decade, parsimony methods (such as those implemented in TNT) continue being the main method used in taxonomically oriented studies, which often combine morphology (where likelihood methods are very hard to justify) and molecular sequence data.

 

·       May I use TNT for teaching?

 

Yes, provided that every student installs his/her own copy and uninstalls it upon finishing the course.  Contact P. Goloboff (pablogolo@csnat.unt.edu.ar) for info on how to uninstall TNT from a computer.

 

·       Can TNT be posted on my own server, so that other people can download it?

 

No.  TNT is free, but it can be donwloaded ONLY from its official web site, at the Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen.  Our reason for this is that in this way we make sure that we can update the program when needed –without old copies left behind.

 

·       Can I make TNT available for remote connection?

 

No.  One of the conditions of the license agreement is that TNT is used locally.  It cannot be made available for public use on remote computers or servers.

 

·       What are my obligations if I use TNT? 

 

When you publish a paper with results based on TNT, in addition to citing the program itself, you have to acknowledge having used the Willi Hennig Society subsidized version, and you have to cite the paper describing the program (Goloboff, P., J. Farris, K. Nixon.  2008.  Cladistics 24:774-786).

 

·       Can I install TNT in two computers?

 

As long as you are the only person using those computers, yes.  If these are computers for public use, every individual user will have to install it under his/her own account, not to be shared with other people.

 

·       Is it possible to run TNT on a cluster?

 

Linux and Macintosh versions can run in parallel.  You can do this only as long as this is your personal cluster and you do not provide remote access to other users.

 

·       If I have paid for a commercial license of TNT before, do I still have to follow the terms of the license?

 

If you download and use the most recent versions of the program, yes, you still have to follow the terms of the license.  You can stick to the older versions, but doing so you will miss periodic upgrades and additions to the program.