Re: Asimov Mirror Sites Access Information

["Quantum_Cat" <anonymous@cotse.com>]

Hiya, ****

 *>I believe I'm showing a complete lapse of judment in 
posting to an obvious
 *>flame war, but I can no longer resist. That being said, 
I'll say my piece.

We are drawn like moths to the flame.  :)

 *>Laws have NOTHING to do with ethics, morals, or right/
wrong. If at some time
 *>in the distant past, they happened to coincide with laws, 
it was due to the
 *>efforts of extraordinarily wise and righteous people. 

Quite the assertion there, ****.  But if you follow history 
at all, you'll find that folks were pretty much as they are 
now.  Looking at the past with rose color glasses is a common 
fault.  

 *>Those people are dead.  The laws they enacted have long 
since been ammended,
 *>altered, and/or repealed into nothing that resembles their 
former glory.

Get a grip, ****... Times and situations change...  If 
anything, these folks were pragmatists and knew that they 
didn't possess omniscience.

 *>Copyright law itself has been altered too many times to 
count. Why?

Rhetorical question?  Well, things got invented.  Recordings, 
Radio, TV, computers...  Is it all clear now?  :)

 *>Copyright laws were created to encourage authors to write 
original works,
 *>with the understanding that after they had earned their 
fair and justified
 *>profits from that work, then that work would belong to the 
public domain. In
 *>the USA, that time was set at 14 years, which was deemed 
appropriate over
 *>200 years ago!!

Yup.  No argument here.

 *>Correct me If I'm wrong, but much of the a2 software you 
are bitching and
 *>moaning about being 'stolen' falls well within that time 
frame. And that's
 *>in meatspace years, guys... it isn't unfair to say that to 
correct it for
 *>internet years, that's more like a couple of centuries. 

Oops.. you now jump from the formation of copyright laws to 
protect an authors work, to the different subject matter of 
software, a time frame a century later, and a few dippy terms 
like "internet years" and "meatspace years".  This kind of 
stuff leaves folks trying to follow your argument with a deep 
and confused "Huh?"

 *>Add to the fact, that you cannot possibly argue that they 
are losing any
 *>kind of sales, and what have you? Another of these 
victimless crimes that
 *>intellectual property fascists are always rallying about. 

Ah.  You're not going to swallow Rosywanker's  "I think it's 
worthless, so I should be able to steal it" train of thought, 
are you?

And you should look up what a fascist is, too, ****.  If 
anything, protecting the individual's rights as the copyright 
laws do, is opposite of the fascist mode of operation.  

If anything, the Turlettes fit the fascist label.  They want 
the developers subordinate to the "State" or the "Apple II 
Community", and demand what isn't theirs in the name of the 
"State".

 *>Some of the true hobbyists, the people who really love 
these machines would
 *>GLADLY buy this software retail, were it offered. Not only 
the software, but
 *>all of the registration perks that were offered, all of 
the documentation
 *>that is hard to come by, and even harder to live 
without... that would be a
 *>godsend.

Hey... Try a WTB (Wanted to Buy) on csa2m then.. or many of 
the other forums that cater to the Apple II enthusiast.  I 
don't see why you feel you must buy it retail, when used is 
usually cheaper.  Unless you're looking for an excuse to rip 
folks off.

 *>If there is a moral/ethical crime being committed, if 
there is SIN here,
 *>it's the companies that refuse to release these 
'copyrighted' works even
 *>after they can no longer profit by them, just out of 
spitefulness. 

Who knows their motives, ****?  And making up crimes to suit 
your just shows your inventiveness... It doesn't aid your 
argument.  Finally, have you actually ASKED them?

 *>Sure, maybe some don't realize they are still in demand, 
and out of
 *>forgetfulness, don't give it away. That can be forgiven. 
But those who do it
 *>out of some reptilian urge to protect their 'territory' 
simply because they
 *>failed to evolve like DECENT human beings, they can go 
fuck themselves. 

Non sequitur, ****.  Protecting their rights has nothing to 
do with evolution.  :)

And that last bit is generally physically impossible, unless 
you're a Turlette.  ;)

 *>There is 'some' reason for copyright law, and those 
reasons should be
 *>appreciated, even if there were no 'laws' to 'protect' 
them. But how far
 *>will you people take it? It is only data now, only 
sequences of bits, only
 *>ideas, only knowledge. 

So... Let's see you string a bunch of that "only data, only 
sequences of bits, only ideas, only knowledge" out for 
yourself.  It's work!  And deserves protection.

And this latest verbage on your part hardly fits the 
knowledge portion.  I suppose you prefer ignorance.

 *>The day is coming when 'pirates' will be able to copy 
anything and
 *>everything... little molecule sized robots, creating exact 
replicas of
 *>yachts, ferraris and the crown jewels. That will be 
illegal copyright
 *>infringement too. And you'll justify that too. 

I'm not holding my breath.  :)  And... Now I'm confused.  I 
most certainly WON'T justify illegal copyright infringement.  
Perhaps you meant something else?

 *>The poor were meant to be poor, right? 

You're not actually proposing that piracy is the cure for 
poverty, are you?  

 *>Haha, flame me all you want. And eat shit and die, while 
you're
 *>at it.

Hey... This wouldn't be Pseudo-Kitty, would it?  I recognise 
that fecal reference.  :)

You Southern boys get sooo  riled.  ;)

Vogons For a Turlette Free Apple II Community!

Quantum_Cat