Re: Wanted: GBBS Pro Versions 2.x

[gids.rs@sasktel.net]

> Not to start A war, but the program support or not is still not 
> freeware.  My suggestion is you try and contact Steven Smallwood.  I 
> understand how many owners feel, the reason I sold it was I was unable 
> to provide support due to my work schedule, I had done some updates 
> before selling it and had given them to registered GBBS Sysops that had 
> asked, the one thing that I could not fix with  the date problem, it was 
> hard coded and I did not have the time or the interest at the time to correct it.



It does not quite work that way Steven.  Just saying you own the rights or Steven Smallwood now has the rights to the GBBS software is not enough.  People have requested to purchase this software since 2002, which is 11 years without sales or support.  That is long enough for software to be considered abondonware if not continually registered.  I take it you had it registered with the proper authorities.

Secondly, games written by owners of the GBBS software are not the property of the current owner of GBBS.  If it ever worked that way, then 3rd party companies who currently write software for the iPhone or iPad that works under MacOSX or Windows, would all automatically become the property of Apple or Microsoft.

Thirdly, the value of a product is no longer in the software itself.  If you look on eBay, a lot of the games are readily available for a free download on the interent, but you still see good prices for software that comes in its original packaging, original disks and original instructions and even better, with the original certificate of authenticity.  If you truly had the originals you would not have lost value in them by releasing the software.  If anything, the originals with a certificate would become even more valuable for collectors, as programmers would be able to play with the program, and see the true value of what the software did back in its day.

Keeping it hidden so it is rare, and selling it in a hundred years, does not increase its value.  All that will happen is, it will become forgotten.  And no-one will really remember what the software did.  Or, if it really was that good of software for its time.

I think you or Steve S, if one of you is the true owner, are making a big mistake at least, by not releasing the software.

Rob