🚀 go-pugleaf

> Austin Code Works does seem pretty rude.  Perhaps a concerned/vindictive
> individual/organisation with some free time could maintain a listing of how
> to obtain each of their products for free via FTP or mailserver.  A listing
> in exact correspondence with their latest ads in magazines, prominently
> posted, would surely reduce their profits a bit.

Posting FTP sites to help netters find and use free & good quality
software is a Good Thing.

Posting FTP sites to try to put a company out of business is a Bad
Thing.

In my opinion, Your verbiage tarnishes the respectable image and good
intentions of organizations like FSF, universities, ShareWare, and PD
programmers which exist to enrich our lives, and not to bring grief
to others.

I spent a year working on porting GCC to a 386 running DOS.  It was a
lot of work, and "cost" me a lot of time and energy that I could have
spent doing other things.  I did it purely for fun, and so that I
would have a 32-bit compiler to use for development.  I made this
package available FREE OF CHARGE to any who wished to have it, as long
as I didn't have to spend my own money to do so.  ACW asked permission
to distribute my package in conjunction with FSF sources (in
accordance with the GPL), printed documentation (bought from FSF), and
BSD library sources (in accordance with their copyrights).  I get a
portion of the money received for my effort and for the support I
provide to the customers (which netters get FREE OF CHARGE).  The
remainder, in my opinion, is not much more than what I would expect a
company would spend for advertising, shipping, overhead, and the
numerous other expenses incurred in any business.

If you are the holder of a copyright on a work of software, and you
feel that the copyright has been violated by anyone, then TAKE THE
OTHER PARTY TO COURT.  This is the only appropriate course of action;
griping doesn't help.  Most copyright statements I've seen in software
distributed via the net have loopholes big enough for any company to
drive an armored car through, and will be hard to enforce against a
good lawyer.  The copyright system is designed to protect authors, and
the court system is very good at applying that protection.  A good
copyright, however, is up to the programmer.

Politeness is not guaranteed by the constitution.  If you don't like
the way a company does business, don't do business with them.  If
enough people do this, that company will go out of business from its
own faults.  The energy you expend trying to convince others to
boycott a business could be used to provide a better service or
product, or support their competitor.  That's the American Way.

PS:  Here's my contribution to the "free-of-charge" software list:

  grape.ecs.clarkson.edu  ~ftp/pub/msdos/djgcc/*  386/DOS GCC/G++ compiler

May it enhance the lives of my fellow programmers, and bring them joy
and ease of programming until it becomes obsolete.  I will be glad to
make other arrangements, as long as I don't have to spend my own
money.


DJ Delorie
dj@ctron.com
-----
Standard Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, and my karma is not
troubled by my words.