Re: CD of all Files on Asimov

[guenter@student.uni-kl.de (Marvin)]

I have followed the discussion about the Asimov site for many weeks
and I don't understand the emotions on both sides. It's not the fact
that the software is old that allows anybody to pirate it, it's the
fact that the original publishers have stopped selling it. Asimov
has a policy which sounds good, they don't place wares on their
server which are still sold. Nice policy, but could be better... If
the SysAdmins on Asimov do really want to keep the II alive, they
should try to find the original publishers and persuade them to
change the legal status of the programs. Even companies like Sierra
who have never been very enthusiastic about the Apple II have
released titles into the Public Domain. If you are too lazy to do
that,  well it's your own fault if you are asking for trouble... ;)

I admit that I am a lazy guy, too. This is the reason why you won't
find anything but standard PD software on my own site. But if we all
work together and try to reincarnate more "Lost Classics" and if you
present me written permissions of the authors, I would be very happy
to make this software available on my site, too. The problem with
Asimov is that they don't want to do this work... ;)

On the other hand, I don't like these legal eagles who would start
a war for software that is ten years old. Where nobody is accused,
there will be no lawyer. Why do you waste your time with holy
crusades for programs which even the authors have abandoned? Support
the programmers which are still active on the Apple II!!! They are
the future of our machine, not these dudes who have abandoned us and
left for the green pastures of other systems! Many programmers have
admitted that they will never complete their unfinished Apple II games.
For example, we will never see the beta version of Sword of Sodan
because some beta testers are still anxious due to some ancient
contracts, while the original GS author has stopped working on it and
would probably agree with releasing it into the PD pool. If you all
want to do something REALLY useful, find these authors instead of
starting useless flame and legal wars which seperate the
Apple II community!

                               - Beware of Vogons -

                                                 Marvin