Re: Dr. Tom

["**** ****" <***@***.com>]

Charles A. Plater wrote in message <39F444DF.B38540AC@ford.com>...

>You know I promised myself that I'd let sleeping dogs lie, but I just
>can't let this one go. If you want a first hand account of Dr. Tom's
>activities, please take a look at :
>http://www.brutal-deluxe.net/DrTom/index.html
>
>For what it's worth, I have never been burned by Dr. Tom.  All I do know
>is that the Apple ][ community lost a very talented programmer because
>he got fed up with Dr. Tom, and when he tried to point out Dr. Tom's
>past, he, and the few that agreed with him were outnumbered by the
>growing number of Dr. Tom supporters that he eventually gave up.
>
>It has been a long time since I was very active in c.s.a2, although I've
>followed it on and off for the last couple of years, I too am about to
>give up (again :( )


    Tried that site, no server. Even so, I don't how that is supposed to
sway me one way or the other.
    I am somewhat new to the a2 community, and as such only very recently
did I happen to get drawn into the common dr.tom/piracy/copyright threads.
I've never even downloaded any a2 software yet, legit or illegal. I only
spoke hypothetically, and even that only about whether copyright law is
ethical or wise in its current form. Instantly, I'm branded a "turlette" and
accused of everything from destroying the a2 community, to torturing small
animals. While there is no way to be certain of what others do, I can
reasonably know whether or not I am guilty of such. Since I know that I'm
innocent, even though accused of such, it's somewhat hard to believe that
anything the "other side" says is true.
    That said, I've got a hunch that there is some small seed of truth in
all the propaganda. But how much? For all I know, Tom made some stupid
tasteless joke like "getting credit for software is as easy as starting up
the old hex editor, haha" and some of the more rabid anti-piracy elements
got wind of it. Why should I care though? No one that particiaptes in these
flamewars seems to care about saying anything worthwhile, and it all boils
down to both sides arguing more for the defense of some sort of status or
bragging rights.
    However little or much software I write for the apple2, will be
freeware, open source freeware. As long as someone else doesn't  claim they
were the one that wrote it, I'm happy. Hell, as far as that goes, any other
intellectual property I 'create' that pertains to the apple2, will be free
to all. After all, giving it to others, doesn't mean that I have any less
myself.

John Oyler
http://aIIethernet.tripod.com/
jojo4@va.mediaone.net