Thanks Derek I am pleased you found it useful, and pleased you bought it from Tom (last name Dolezal).
I remember TK Computerware as a consistent supporter and retailer of QL and Z88 products at the time. Tom worked in Ashford, Kent but I think he moved in the 90s. When credit card fraud began to take hold. He 'sold' a Z88 to a fraudster who later phoned him and boasted about the fraud. Wolfgang suggested 'some people are just evil'. Well that kind of deliberate torture comes close. On a positive note I did get some fraudsters arrested one time, they were under 18 apparently. Their leader had the sense to leg it but must have had a few sleepless nights. Still, that's another story. Best wishes Richard Howe -----Original Message----- From: Ql-Users [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Derek Stewart Sent: 09 July 2016 08:41 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Withdrawal of my personal Software Preservation Project Hi Richard, I bought a copy of Master Spy in 1989 from TK Computaware, aftwer a review in QL Wolrd. I must say that Master Spy was one of best QL software I have ever had. I am sorry for not buying it direct from you. Regards, Derek On 07/07/16 16:16, Richard Howe wrote: > Hi > > I don't often reply in the forum but I do watch it, and this thread > caught my attention. > > Issues: > 1. Integrity. > 2. Letting go of personal attacks by trolls, and the trolls > themselves. > 3. Copyright. > > 1. Integrity. > Those who appreciate the value of copyright do so because it is > 'right' to morally and financially support those who give energy to > projects that interest the community. Those who break copyright law > are ignorant of this, their minds commonly lacking respect for others. > Those who simply observe the law have missed the point. > > 2. Letting go. > When encountering people of low integrity it is important first to > recognise them for the ignorant people they are, and quickly say > 'bye'. It's easy to forgive them because they are obviously too > ignorant to dig themselves out of the pit they have dug for > themselves. Allowing trolls space in your mind will lead to your poor > health as you are allowing your own ego to mull over their negative > words. Simply know the community is constructive, and will dismiss them and their comments. Only trolls really engage with trolls. > Letting go is an important healing principle. > > 3. Copyright. > I would not be fussed if copies of my old QL programs were passed around. > However, I am writing a website that uses a few original ideas in > them, and I 'would' be fussed if the ideas were misused and undermined > my current project. The law allows for 'fair use' of parts of a > copyright item and this is wise. Special licences can also widen the > availability for users while protecting essentials for the author. > Perhaps I should mention that thirty years ago I wrote the Spy and Master Spy editors, Archivist, Mailfile, etc. > Back then there were enthusiasts but few buyers, much like today. I > haven't sold anything QL in the last twenty years. I seem to remember > all the profits were ploughed back into advertising. That's the nature > of the game sometimes. > > Kind regards > Richard Howe > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ql-Users [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > Rich Mellor > Sent: 07 July 2016 14:32 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Withdrawal of my personal Software > Preservation Project > > On 07/07/2016 11:13, Wolfgang Lenerz wrote: >> Hi, >> >> Just my 2 cents worth. >> >> As I understand it, Rich came under attack from some (as yet unnamed) >> sources because he (i) sells old programs for the QL and (ii) sent >> take-down notices (or was suspected of sending them) to sites that >> apparently hosted copyrighted files without the owners' consent. >> >> It goes without saying that being attacked for these actions is just >> unacceptable. I'm alarmed, Rich, that this should cause you health >> problems. I believe that the echo your decision got on the list here >> shows that people here do support you. >> >> Except for the health problem, I'm not sure that I understand why >> this causes you to stop your preservation project. Surely the best >> strategy to adopt is to ignore the <your favorite swear word here> >> who bring these attacks - and go on as before ? >> >> I think, Rich, that you should publish here extracts of the offending >> emails or whatever form that correspondence took, together with the >> author's names, so that I, for one, could be sure not to have any >> contact with them. >> >> >> The discussion now seems to center on whether all QL software should >> be made available for free. I agree with much of what Marcel writes, >> in that I also think that all of this 30+ years old software >> **should** be free. Like Marcel, I'm in the process of releasing my >> commercial programs as freeware, as and when I get around to it. >> However, the decision to do so is mine and nobody else's. Likewise, >> the decision for others to do so with their software is theirs. Do I >> think that that old software should be released for free, like Marcel >> does ? Sure ! Would I, like Marcel, refuse to pay a cent for any old >> game ? Yup : if it isn't free, I don't even look at it. >> >> But I don't see what's wrong with copyright owners holding on to >> their property, nor with Rich trying to sell some software and make >> some money from it. I do not understand the mindset of people who >> believe that these things MUST NECESSARILY be free and if they >> aren't, then the copyright owners and traders are evil, and fair game >> for any sort of abuse (I'm not accusing anybody on this list of thinking that way!). >> >> Is the fact that some copyright owners try to make a buck off their >> software in any way nefarious or detrimental to the QL scene ? In >> other words, do we loose users because of it ? I don't believe so. I >> frankly fail to believe that someone new to the QL scene would look >> at it, look at the software available, think < hey that's a game I >> must have > and then go away when he discovers that the game is still >> being > sold.. >> >> As to the problem of hosting these still copyrighted files, I like >> Marcel's analogy with (minor!) traffic law violations - you can >> choose, say, to double-park < just for a few minutes > and run the >> risk of getting a fine. Likewise, you can also choose to host >> copyrighted files and run the risk of criminal proceedings (with much > higher penalties). >> The risk of being sued is probably minimal. The operating words being >> < probable > -i.e. not certain, and < minimal > i.e. not null. It is >> up to each of us to assess that risk and ask themselves whether they >> want to run it. However, as one of those darned lawyers myself, what >> would I tell a client if he asked me whether he should/could host >> copyrighted files (w/o the copyright owners' permission, that is) ? >> The answer would be a clear and unequivocal < no >. >> >> QL forever! >> >> Wolfgang >> _______________________________________________ >> QL-Users Mailing List >> > Maybe with our legal backgrounds, we both see the need to protect > rights and for that reason neither of us would get involved in hosting > copyrighted files. > > I think the need to obtain the copyright holders' permission is > paramount - if you do not bother to approach them and are later found > out as having breached their copyright, then it is a much more fraught > position than if you contacted them first and ascertained what they would like to happen. > > Let's face it, if someone approached a best selling author and said - > could we host downloads of your books from the 1980s which have been > out of print for 20 years, they may well say yes - I would love to see it. > But if you offer the books for download and then someone pointed them > to your site, they are much much less likely to think that is acceptable. > > As for the impact on my health - the problem is that (as some people > are > aware) I have been struggling with poor health now for 2 1/2 years - > the stress of dealing with these personal attacks on both myself and > my business just compounds that as it adds to my (already) poor sleep. > > I would rather not publicise the attacks further by including extracts > - but there are several (generally Spanish) forums and even a well > known Spectrum forum where these attacks have been levied (generally > started by the same username, but then carried on by others). > > -- > Rich Mellor > RWAP Services > Specialist Enuuk Auction Programming Services > > www.rwapservices.co.uk > > _______________________________________________ > QL-Users Mailing List > > _______________________________________________ > QL-Users Mailing List > _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List
