On 9 Mar 2005 at 18:07, Noel Stoutenburg wrote: > I wrote: > > >The truly critical element here is for each user to make > >certain that every data file considered critical are stored in an > >accessible format. To that end, I'd submit that ~.mus files are not > >as good a choice for long term archival purposes as ~.etf files. . . > >. > > > to which David Fenton responded > > >Assuming you're going to reverse engineer the data structure, yes, of > > course. > > > >But the whole point of the key escrow is that IT OBVIATES THE NEED TO > > RE-ENGINEER. How anyone could not think that would be preferable to > >the mere hope (fantasy?) of reverse engineering the file format, I > >can't imagine. > > > I don't think reverse engineering the data structure is necessary, as > it's most likely published as part of the Plug-in Developer's Kit
But you'd have to engineer a program to manipulate the data. In a sense you'd be reverse engineering Finale from the ETF file format. That's not trivial, at all. Even engineering a read-only display version isn't simple, and that's of no real use, as far as I'm concerned -- only an editable version is worth having. > >But that kind of data loss happens only to individuals, whereas the > >failure of MakeMusic locks up the data of everyone who has purchased > >the authenticated versions of Finale. > > > ...<snip>... > > >The cost to MakeMusic of key escrow is very low relative to the cost > >incurred by users of Finale should MM fail in the absence of key > >escrow. There is no logical explanation for their failure to provide > >insurance to their users. > > But an escrowed untether is no guarantee either; there's no guarantee > that the escrow agent(s) is going to still be around when MakeMusic > fails, either. Insurance and trust companies go out of business on a > regular basis. Deposit the escrow with Chase Bank, or the biggest law firm in the country. Deposit two copies or three copies with different corporate entities. Of course, the world could blow up in a nuclear war, too, and then it wouldn't matter. It is unlikely except in the event of catastrophic economic collapse that one could not find a firm or two with which to store the escrow key. And if that happens, Finale files will be the least of our worries! -- David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton David Fenton Associates http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
