On 10-Mar-99 Karl F. Larsen wrote:
>
> Hi Nate. Another example is the DX Cluster. A Ham made his money
> selling the software with the buyer's callsign inbedded into the binary.
> That way no sharing software. Well after a few years it stopped selling so
> he announced it will no longer be supported. But no source code. Nothing.
>
> Happy to say France came up and re-wrote the DX Cluster code for
> both DOS and Linux. Germany came up with Clix for Linux. But again the
> source code is not available from France. Just a binary. Wonder what will
> happen when F6FBB dies or looses interest?
>
>
>
> On Tue, 9 Mar 1999, Nate Bargmann wrote:
>
> } Bob Nielsen wrote:
> } >
> } > The problem here is that both PACTOR-II and CLOVER are proprietary
> } > protocols. I guess after using Linux for nearly five years I have a
> } > real problem with that (also APRS).
> }
> } Not only do I have *zero* use for proprietary protocols on ham radio, I
> } am also finding it much harder to justify the existence of proprietary
> } software in ham radio.
> }
> } Remember a couple months back when it was announced that some pirate had
> } cracked the registration code on software written by Brian Beezley,
> } K6STI? An editorial in CQ whailed of the loss of this program and
> } others written by K6STI to the ham community. Now, I'm not going to say
> } this wasn't nice software, nor will I say it was useless, I never used
> } any of his programs. But! What did K6STI plan to do with the source
> } code if he died, or lost interest in maintaining it or developing it? I
> } don't know. What about any ham interested in doing the calculations and
> } other things his software did or wishing to understand the engineering
> } principles it embodied? There certainly was no way any of us could
> } learn from his technique if we wanted to as it's hidden behind the
> } binary code. This is an unfortunate side effect of proprietary software
> } applied to ham radio. One person gains financially and the rest of us
> } are prevented from learning from his skills. The height of selfishness
> } indeed!
> }
> } Now, since K6STI has made the decision to no longer support his code
> } and, from what I've read, intends to "deprive" ham radio of the
> } "benefit" of his code since someone cracked his protection thus
> } depriving him of income, then I think he should GPL his code. Why not?
> } He's decided he's not going to make any more money anyway selling the
> } software in question. Perhaps he believes all hams are pirates and
> } wishes to punish the entire community, or (more likely) is not aware of
> } the GPL.
> }
> } It seems to me the Micrso~1 world is geared so that anyone with a good
> } idea must purchase proprietary development tools and documentation and
> } then any software produced must be sold and licensed like Windows in
> } order to recoup one's initial expense of development. I would guess no
> } author of ham software is ever adequately compensated for their time due
> } to low volume sales.
> }
> } What a contrast that world is from Linux and other Free Software
> } projects where openess and sharing are the order of the day. I like it
> } here...I think I'll stay! :-)
> }
> } 73, de Nate >>
> }
> } P.S. I realize I am preaching to the choir here, but I wanted to get
> } this off my chest and into the archives for those that come later
> } wanting to understand why the Free world is much healthier for ham radio
> } than the proprietary one.
> }
> } --
> }
> } Packet | N0NB @ WF0A.#SCKS.KS.USA.NOAM | "FAILURE IS NOT
> } Internet | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | AN OPTION!
> } Location | Valley Center, Kansas USA EM17hs | It's bundled
> } Visit my Linux + Ham Radio pages | with the soft-
> } http://homepage.netspaceonline.com/~ka0rny/ | ware..."
> }
>
> Best wishes
>
> - Karl F. Larsen, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (505) 524-3303 -
---
Dirk-Jan Koopman, Tobit Computer Co Ltd
At the source of every error which is blamed on the computer you will find
at least two human errors, including the error of blaming it on the computer.
