Re: I'm at a loss for words

[smentzer@pacbell.net (Steve Mentzer)]

In article <542pc0$jhg@cwis-20.wayne.edu>, cplater@rattlehead.pass.wayne.edu 
says...
>
>I was beginning to regret selling my GS, but I can tell you that I am very
>glad that I did not that I see that the current batch of Apple II people
>are willing to follow Dr. Tom, rather than Nathan Mates.  I have been an
>Apple IIgs user since they were introduced, and I powed one for the past 3
>years.  I can tell you that Nathan Mates has actually written usefull
>programs for the GS, while Dr. Tom has done nothing but propogate pirated
>warez (I know that he says someone else did it, so let's not get into
>that.)  Dr. Tom scares me, and if people here are going to take his word
>of Nathan Mates, I'm outta here.
>
>--

Well, I would like to make a few things very clear to you. 

#1 - If you would take a good long look at the actions of Nathan Mates, you 
     will see that he has made a habit of being a very condescending
     and arrogant individual who does not accept any other view than his
     own. I have seen him lambast several individuals for merely expressing
     their opinion or ask a question, which may be legally objectionable.

#2 - It seems to me that Nathan Mates is "drawing a line" between himself 
     and anyone who does not follow his values and morals regarding the
     distribution of software. Even in the Apple II's heyday, I have never
     seen such contempt for people that Nathan Mates has shown. He has
     proven over and over again that he is right and everyone else is wrong..
     Or has he?

#3 - It is a shame that you are leaving. It is a shame that you feel compelled
     to pick sides. Charles Turley has not asked you to do so. It is nathan
     mates who prefers to admonish those who will not follow him. 


The bottom line is that Nathan Mates is trying to play "god" over a small
but dedicated legion of Apple II users and fanatics. It is unfortunate that
he has made it his pet project to attempt to regulate and control what people
can and cannot get from places such as the asimov archive. 

If he does not believe in piracy, then fine. I dont agree with piracy either, 
but this is not 1985 and the Apple II has long since been dead. The only thing
any of us have left is our ability to use software that we once loved and
adored.

The only other way to get the majority of this software is to buy it 
second hand from some person selling it across the "net", or to purchase
it from some of these "land shark" apple II dealers of software. Often
times, these people want almost as much for the software as it was 
5 years ago. Highway robbery I call it. 

Face it, when we copy AppleWorks 3.0, its not like making CD duplicates
of windows NT. You have a valid argument. I never denied that.

But comparing the piracy of old apple II software to the piracy of today
should not be a moral issue. And if you rely on legal premise, then
I can only ask that you look to the constitution of the united states of
america. There are several items in the constitution that were "great
when it was written, but dont apply to 90's society". So true is the
case of apple II piracy. Your moral and legal argument are valid, but
may not apply in the context of our current dilemna..

smentzer@pacbell.net