Re: A different approach

[smentzer@pacbell.net (Steve Mentzer)]

>   We write stuff and say pay $X if you like it. The public doesn't.
>We write commercial stuff, and the pirates are in our face telling
>everyone they'll pirate our stuff again if we dare tell them what
>they've done is wrong in moral *and* legal terms. We're the only folks
>holding back the pirating vultures attempting to strip any remaining
>life out of things, and there's a war on here.


Nathan. Thanks for the "holier than thou" attitude that you are famous for.
I just wanted to clear up a number of things

1 - 	People like myself (who you consider a pirate) don't pirate
	commercially available software. If you can purchase software
	through a legitimate source (ie. not a garage sale/auction) then
	I say BUY IT!. But non-commercially-available stuff such as Aztec
	and the like should be free game as far as I am concerned.

	I know this bothers you because technically and legally, they are not
	authorized to use most of this software, but my attitude has always
	been, and will continue to be "If it isn't hurting anyone, and no-one
	is losing any money because of it", then sites like asimov are a-ok.

2 - 	If you have a war with anyone nathan, it is one or two people out
	of the 100's that consistently visit this newsgroup. The rest of the
	people dont pirate commercially available titles. Once again, you
	blame the masses for the crimes of the few. Religous Zealot.

3 - 	Morally and legally, anyone who downloads and uses a title that they
	didn't purchase, and hasn't been reclassified as freeware/shareware
	is wrong. No one disputes this. But the fact is that there is a grey
	area here. And I am fighting to maintain that grey area. In your eyes
	I am wrong. In my eyes, I am just keeping the Apple II alive.

	The fact is that without software on sites like asimov, people will
	totally stop using the Apple II altogether. Where there is no software
	there will be no users.


I draw the line at one point:

1 - Downloading and using software that you can purchase from a legitimate 
source is WRONG!!! It is unethical and immoral. It strains the remaining life 
force from the Apple II community. And this directly affects developers. The 
recent post of EXPRESS/HARMONIE and the like was uncalled for and totally 
against what people like myself believe in. These titles are still available. 
Unfortunately, everyone who downloaded these titles and used them took money 
from the pocket of the developer. I cannot justify this. Now for being a 
"pirate", I sure do have some strange philosophy. Nathan, we may have more in 
common than you think.

2 - Downloading software that still under copyright, but unable to purchase 
from a legitmate source because of the following issues falls into my "gray 
area", and you should lighten up about it.

	a - The copyright holder no-longer exists, or is inactive.
	b - The software is no longer being legally distributed.
	
These items fall into my "gray area".

In addition, if you purchase a title from a garage sale or an independent 
reseller, then you are doing nothing to support the developers. The money goes 
to the pocket of the reseller. Nothing goes to the developer, because they are 
just clearing out their garages or clearing out old stock.

So, in all reality, sites like asimov that contain NON-COMMERCIALLY-AVAILABLE 
copyrighted software, do nothing to harm the apple II developers, Apple II 
software industry (what is left of it), or the Apple II users.

If it does hurt any of these groups, I would LOVE to see your examples and 
rationale as to how it does hurt. But then again, you typically are only 
capable of ranting, so this is a pipe dream.


>   Don't bother with a pat on the back; you've had plenty of chances
>and you blew them all. Get rid of the slime infesting this place so we
>can do some real work, or don't bother even trying to say that you
>support them.


It's also very nice for you to speak on behalf of all the developers nathan.
Typical of you...

smentzer@pacbell.net