Re: Building An Apple ][ Software Archive

[atanasmarkov@my-deja.com]

In article <7izx5.5013$m8.924731@news1.telusplanet.net>,
  "Byron Q. Desnoyers Winmill" <wbdesnoy@ucalgary.ca> wrote:
> While not a software archive per say, creating a catalogue of known
> Apple II software might be useful.  Such an archive could include the
> name of the software, the copyright date and owner, distribution
media,
> intended platform (ie. model) and system requirements, operating
system,
> disk catalogue, and some form of checksum.  A description of the
> software, and whether there are any known derivatives (ie. is the
trademark
> still valuable) could also be significant.
>
> What would this catalogue allow us to do?  It would allow us to
preserve
> the past, before all known copies are destroyed.  If there is a large
> volume of "discarded" software (ie. the version nor concept no longer
hold
> any commercial value), it may form a case for software copyright
reform.
> It would allow owners to check the integrity of their copies against
other
> known copies.  It would form the basis of physical collections, so
that
> interesting/significant software can be preserved.  It could also
serve as
> a starting point for those who want to ask authors to release
software into
> the public domain.
>
> Well, it is just an idea.  And it is an idea which ought to be safe
from
> the piracy police . . . and the pirates.
>
> Byron.
>
> lowlife2270@my-deja.com wrote:
> > I've been reading, both with interest and concern, about the
entrenched
> > views regarding software piracy and software archival (and its
> > associated retrieval). Clearly, people have issues with how this has
> > been happening in the past (the Asimov topic would be an obvious
way to
> > prove this).
>
> > I propose that we build a software archive. One in which access is
> > controlled. One in which those that post material can ensure that
they
> > can access their own material again. One which shows all the skills
> > which the Apple ][ series fostered in the community (and yes, that
> > includes the cracking of software titles). I could get into more
> > details than this, but I don't know that they would be overly
useful at
> > this point. Suffice to say that there would be a cute web-based
> > interface to the system, and people could browse through a listing
of
> > the current contents of the archive. I have several years'
experience
> > of doing this kind of work, and I'd be more than happy to apply that
> > knowledge to something constructive like this. I'm not in it for the
> > money (or the disk images).
>
>

hey, the idea for the archive is great! if we make a catalog only we'll
loose the only chanca to save what's remaining from the Apple ][
software. there's lots of software lost forever and if we continue
waiting for the rest of the software to become freeware it'll be too
late. i know there are thousands of Apple programs and games(see
Bitcopy or Apple history) and i have seen 5-10% of these things. I know
some collectors that have let's say 30-40% of these, but you know that
these lists aren't full. so should we wait till the software disappears?
i suggest we make a really big archive of everything available now! we
must save the memories for Apple II. and you know there are lot's of
copyrighted things for the Apple II, but do you think anything can be
sold? so why do companies still keep their copyrights? they all have to
do what Apple did- make their software freeware.


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