I totally agree. I hope all other guys like Detlef and others will continue preserve and catalouge all stuff like are doing.
I remember that all information about our preservation project are here (now in English). https://sinclairql.wordpress.com I will always support QL naturally also If some spanigh guys will offend me ;) I hope that Rich will really don't stop to produce his AMAZING boxes because are the only HOPE in the actual QL market. Best regards to all. Kora Sistemi Informatici Via Cavour 1, 46030 San Giorgio di Mantova MN Tel/Fax +39 0376 371059 P. IVA: 02048930206 -----Messaggio originale----- Da: Ql-Users [mailto:ql-users-boun...@lists.q-v-d.com] Per conto di Rich Mellor Inviato: mercoledì 6 luglio 2016 11:10 A: ql-us...@q-v-d.com Oggetto: [Ql-Users] Withdrawal of my personal Software Preservation Project In view of the highly negative (and offensive) comments which I have received on various forums about my approach to the preservation of QL software, I have now taken the decision to formally close my project. It is interesting to read that World of Spectrum is also going through similar problems due to people becoming abusive to the people who invest time and money in the site. Thankfully ql-users has remained immune, but since all of this is having a negative impact on my health, and taking me away from the small amount of time I am well enough to work each day, it is with regret that after 9 years, my own project has now come to an end. It is a shame as over 120 titles have been released as freeware in the past 2 years mainly due to my efforts in tracking down and contacting the copyright holders to ask them what they wanted done with their software. A further 29 titles have also been re-released commercially as a result. The majority of feedback seems to be that my commercial interests are ruining the software preservation and that a project where software is preserved and simply made free to download by all is what is required (without any willing hands to do the work). I shall therefore no longer be updating the QL WIki and if there is not enough interest to keep this going (and updates by others), then perhaps I should remove its hosting as it is obviously of no value. Similar comments apply to the SBASIC/SuperBASIC Reference Manual Online. The QL community will now need to find others to take software preservation and the QL Wiki forward - there is a spreadsheet available for reference which shows the current list of known programs and status of preservation: https://www.dropbox.com/s/84m3eizdplf9fv3/%21%21%20Full%20QL%20Software%20Li st%20-%20Preserved.xlsx?dl=0 There is also the Italian software preservation project - which has been running alongside my own personal project and concentrates on preserving img dumps of microdrive cartridges and disks (complete with copy protection etc) - although again, Simone (Outsoft) has been criticised for not making what he has preserved to date freely available for download, in breach of copyright. So - where does it go from here? That is up to the community to decide. There is now a huge opportunity for the community to decide exactly what QL preservation should look like, how it should be funded and who should be responsible for preserving the software and maintaining any repository, dealing with copyright holders and hosting the websites / QL Wiki etc If anyone can provide evidence that permission has been obtained for even more software to be released as freeware, then I can of course release it from my stored backups - although you may still need to remove copy protection, find additional copies to merge together into one fully working copy, or alter the software to get it working on modern systems and emulators. I shall however, not get involved in software piracy. -- Rich Mellor RWAP Services Specialist Enuuk Auction Programming Services www.rwapservices.co.uk _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List
