Re: The NinjaForce Website, CSA2, Labels, etc.!

[Michael Crane <cranem@athenet.net>]

On Fri, 03 Dec 1999 01:16:06 -0600, Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>
wrote:

>Dain Neater writes ...
>
>> In article <3845FD8C.DD6373FF@swbell.net>, Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> > Cturley2 writes ...
>> >>
> ....
>> >> Gee, fellow CSA2 contributors, how does it feel to know you are a part
>> >> of the "The big Apple II trashcan"
>> >  ....
>> >
>> >      Tsk. This German site includes links to Asimov and 'Fairway-- a good
>> > indication of enlightenment.
>> >
>> >      Rather than some silly insult, we are dealing with a simple
>> > translation glitch. "Big trashcan" would equate to "catch all" or "place
>> > where everyone meets to discuss Apple II issues, ask/answer questions,
>> > express opinions, ..."-- or, in a sense, the 'Brain of the Apple II
>> > community'!
> ....
>
>> 
>> Not to throw gas on the fire, but I think as developers, they most likely
>> refer to CSA2 as the "Big Trashcan" because of people  Posting of
>> directions of where to find software that is still under Copyright of its
>> respective authors.
> ....
>
>     Most software on nearly every archive is "still under Copyright of its
>respective authors". I guess you mean to focus upon out-of-print commercial
>software-- e.g. games like 'Midnight Madness, Questron, etc.. 
>
>     Your "trashcan" interpretation would, certainly, work for the few
>remaining vogon types. However, as noted, the NinjaForce site includes links to
>Asimov and Apple IIgs Gaming Memory Fairway. These sites do not merely include
>out-of-print commercial software, they maintain almost nothing else.
>
>     Nor are we talking about some giant Apple II links listing which just
>happens to include the two sites. Fewer than 25 sites are listed and only 5
>under "Download Facilities" which includes Asimov and 'Fairway.
>
>     So, NinjaForce goes one better than those posting directions, it supplies
>complimentary descriptions plus links!
>
>     If the NinjaForce programmers are 'sending a message' to anyone, it is to
>those who still mistakenly label responsibly managed archives as "pirate sites"
>and call virtually all Apple II users "pirates".


So we see the old argument that, because it's not available from the
author or any other legal source, it's all right to make it available
for download on the "archive sites".  Unfortunately for all Apple II
users, this is *still* illegal and unethical.  Do I like the idea that
some this software will likely never be legally available again?  No,
I don't.  I can not, however, support or condone (for what little that
may be worth) these illegal sites and the people who maintain them.

And, yes, anybody who uses/copies software that is still under
copyright without permission from the author/publisher (usually
obtained by purchasing the software from the author/publisher of that
software) is by definition a pirate.  If that includes "virtually all
Apple II users", so be it.  Sometimes the truth hurts.