Re: Building An Apple ][ Software Archive

[Roy and/or Janet Miller <millers@inetnebr.com>]

atanasmarkov@my-deja.com wrote:

> i just think the apple ii community must start collecting apple ii
> software, no matter how,

One project of the AppleLinc computer club is to archive all of the club
library and, we hope, to have it available for download. Since these are
PD, FW, & SW, we should be in conformity to the copyright law.

> just because in a few years there won't be any
> copyrighted software for the Apple II, but there won't be any apple ii
> software around, too.

I've got hundreds of Apple II programs in my lab, and I'm working on making
backups so that bit rot won't deprive me of these programs. If everyone who
has Apple II software does similar things we can save this huge library of
software. And, if the above mentioned "catalog" is done, it could be the
tool needed to get more software re-released, or released as freeware.
Wouldn't it be helpful to communicate to Sierra about *all* their Apple II
titles at one time, rather than pester them about one or two titles at a
time?

> it's sad, but it's true. does any of you people
> keep his old apple and use it?

Some of us "does".

> don't you all have pcs at home? this is
> called progress and it can't be stopped. But hey I like Apple IIs. my
> first computer was an apple ii and i still love it. so why shouldn't i
> try to keep the memory about this computer. why should we let people
> put their apple ii software in the trash,

"let"? How can we stop them?

> but not keep it or give it to
> others? there were thousands and thousands of games and programs
> written for the apple ii and we(the apple community) have just a very
> little part of it.

I suspect that current Apple II users combined probably have nearly all the
commercial software ever released. Of the estimated 20,000 Apple II
programs, how many were PD/SW/FW from the very beginning, and how many of
those are still around? I think, if we had data, we'd find that the real
loss is there, and not in the formerly commercial software.

Roy