Re: [ql-users] QL Archive
On Tue, 5 Oct 2004 at 20:21:05, Phoebus Dokos wrote: (ref: [EMAIL PROTECTED]) Wed, 6 Oct 2004 01:09:28 +0100,() Tony Firshman [EMAIL PROTECTED] /wrote: On Tue, 5 Oct 2004 at 19:34:36, Phoebus Dokos wrote: (ref: [EMAIL PROTECTED]) Ôçí Wed, 6 Oct 2004 00:08:05 +0100,ï(ç) Tony Firshman [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ýãñáøå/wrote: Tony I have unlocked all of my emails for you... you are only supposed to reply to the blocked message and all go through from then on. Apparently when I updated my filters your email was left out... Oh dear. You have missed out on a lot of ql emailshots (8-)# Is my QBBS archive interesting? The file list is probably in a good enough format to auto add files. Tony If it's the classic files.bbs file for the most part yes. The difference is that I implement the database as a set of normalised tables. Processing a well thought-of file listing just like your QBBS listing will be easy enough but enough information will be missing (ie Date released, Date updated, current version, Author etc.). It is a bbs file I believe (PBOX of course) but I am sure there will be little info - maybe only description and size. I will have a look. Tony -- QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255 tony@surname.co.uk http://www.firshman.co.uk Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
Re: [ql-users] Perfection
Geoff writes: The status of Perfection is an old chestnut on this list and exactly the same things are being said as the last time the thread appeared. And the time before that. And the time before that. And ..the ...time before. zz. (snore). No one knows what the status of Perfection is or of all the ancilliary programs that went with it. There is an important lesson to be learnt here, especially for those people who 2 months ago were screaming for a QL software archive and even demanded that it should be on the agenda of QL2004. I threw the challenge back at the people concerned and have not heard a thing since. There is, of course, still time to for them to send their ideas via video, CD-ROM etc to QL2004. Quanta asked me to monitor the discussion on a software archive to see if they could have a role to play. I sounded out a few people who have had experience of chasing up old software and they all said that it was not worth the effort. More often than not you come across the same sort of uncertainty as with Perfection. It is difficult enough to track down the copyright position, let alone get hold of the source code. (Remember the reaction of everyone when I queried whether Quanta should try to buy the rights to QLiberator and Text87?) I can only apologise for my tardy reaction. Im not one of those few people who have had experience of chasing up old software, but Im all for it. In particular, Id be interested in updated versions of QLiberator and EasyPtr. Id even be prepared to pay a reasonably unreasonable amount for the privilege. So anyone who thinks they can do something about this gets my wholehearted support! Per ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
Re: [ql-users] Perfection
In a message dated 05/10/04 19:48:34 GMT Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I use Perfection with SMSQE (v3.07) and it works well. However I had to alter my version because at one point the register D1 no longer contained what the authors expected. I reported this alteration in QL Today some time ago. I I altered Perfection v 6.10 and reported this in QL Today Vol 5 Issue 1 (May/June 2000) on page 27. George ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
Re: [ql-users] Perfection
- Original Message - From: P Witte Subject: Re: [ql-users] Perfection I can only apologise for my tardy reaction. Im not one of those few people who have had experience of chasing up old software, but Im all for it. In particular, Id be interested in updated versions of QLiberator and EasyPtr. Id even be prepared to pay a reasonably unreasonable amount for the privilege. So anyone who thinks they can do something about this gets my wholehearted support! No apology necessary in this case. Unfortunately your two examples again illustrate the problems of chasing up/upgrading old software. QLiberator had two authors and one, whom I believe has the only copies of the code, has disappeared. (I put that in inverted commas as we amateur genealogists have means of tracing people whether dead or alive) There is an upgraded version of EasyPtr and very good it is too. The problem is that Albin Hessler is the author and Marcel the upgrader for his own use. Everyone wants to respect copyright in this case, but no one knows what the legal position is. Hence the upgrade cannot be distributed. Best wishes, Geoff Wicks ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
Re: [ql-users] Perfection
- Original Message - From: Phoebus Dokos [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ql-users] Perfection . Not entirely true :-) I submitted that idea to my graduating supervisor professor at the uni and I was approved :-) That means that the ql-archive will be a reality (that is if I want to graduate in December ;-) For status now: I am finished with the database structure and most of the search code (in PHP). Glad to hear this, but I am not so interested in the technical side of the archiving, but in the practical. I am not sure that the people who raised this issue 2 months ago were all talking about the same thing. Pity there was no proper discussion of this at the time. Practical problems are for example: 1: How do you make a complete inventory of all the QL software, both PD and commercial, that has ever been published? This first stage could occupy a team for months on end. 2: How do you contact the copyright holders and/or authors when there is no up to date contact information? Specifically how would you solve the QLiberator problem. 3: How do you sort out complicated copyright questions? For example Freddy V gave permission for Perfection to become freeware, but not Spellchecker. Or think of the situation with the EasyPtr upgrade. 4: How do you cope with the anal retention problem, where an author refuses to release or modify code? (e.g. the Text87 problem.) If we are really serious about a software archive, then it should not be a one man effort, but a team looking at these problems. Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
Re: [ql-users] Perfection
P Witte wrote: snip I can only apologise for my tardy reaction. Im not one of those few people who have had experience of chasing up old software, but Im all for it. In particular, Id be interested in updated versions of QLiberator and EasyPtr. Id even be prepared to pay a reasonably unreasonable amount for the privilege. So anyone who thinks they can do something about this gets my wholehearted support! Per What do you mean by 'Id even be prepared to pay a reasonably unreasonable amount for the privilege' François Van Emelen ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
Re: [ql-users] Perfection
Geoff writes: QLiberator had two authors and one, whom I believe has the only copies of the code, has disappeared. (I put that in inverted commas as we amateur genealogists have means of tracing people whether dead or alive) Surely someone on this list must know the name of the 'disappeared' man? There is an upgraded version of EasyPtr and very good it is too. The problem is that Albin Hessler is the author and Marcel the upgrader for his own use. Everyone wants to respect copyright in this case, but no one knows what the legal position is. Hence the upgrade cannot be distributed. Not even to those who legally hold the original, d'you think? Per ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
Re: [ql-users] Perfection
François Van Emelen writes: P Witte wrote: snip What do you mean by 'Id even be prepared to pay a reasonably unreasonable amount for the privilege' reasonable reasonably reasonable reasonably unreasonable unreasonable Reasonably clear? Per ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL-Archive (was: Perfection)
Wed, 6 Oct 2004 20:23:21 +0100,() gwicks [EMAIL PROTECTED] /wrote: - Original Message - From: Phoebus Dokos [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ql-users] Perfection . Not entirely true :-) I submitted that idea to my graduating supervisor professor at the uni and I was approved :-) That means that the ql-archive will be a reality (that is if I want to graduate in December ;-) For status now: I am finished with the database structure and most of the search code (in PHP). Glad to hear this, but I am not so interested in the technical side of the archiving, but in the practical. I am not sure that the people who raised this issue 2 months ago were all talking about the same thing. Pity there was no proper discussion of this at the time. Practical problems are for example: 1: How do you make a complete inventory of all the QL software, both PD and commercial, that has ever been published? This first stage could occupy a team for months on end. Of course. This is by no means a one-off effort. Just like the World of Spectrum archive this has to grow slowly. The first installment will of course be a burst of software directly available but of course nothing will be done immediately. A MIA section will be created on software missing based on a WikiWiki incarnation (so that anyone can edit the pages for missing software). 2: How do you contact the copyright holders and/or authors when there is no up to date contact information? Specifically how would you solve the QLiberator problem. That is a serious problem. My solution for now is to include everything I find (and that I own legitimately) but for copyright protected programs disallow the download to a case-by-case basis (the proof-of-purchase concept I mentioned earlier). As either the copyright expires and/or permission is obtained that software will too be released. The idea behind a QL Archive is to save the software from oblivion first and worry about the details later but in the same time display sensitivity toward the authors rights (hence the locked downloads). Consider it a kind of a library :-) 3: How do you sort out complicated copyright questions? For example Freddy V gave permission for Perfection to become freeware, but not Spellchecker. Or think of the situation with the EasyPtr upgrade. This is essentially the same question as above so the same answer applies. 4: How do you cope with the anal retention problem, where an author refuses to release or modify code? (e.g. the Text87 problem.) That has NOTHING to do with the archive. I do not intend to archive source code unless the software has been released in that form. Archiving Text87 therefore (which won't be included as it is still being sold btw) would include all the files of Text87's distribution not its source code. If the author (or whoever submits the software) adds its source code even better, however right now I am interested in preserving the software in its original (or quasi original as in the case of some PSION games for example) form. If we are really serious about a software archive, then it should not be a one man effort, but a team looking at these problems. Of course. This is designed for user input, hence the Submit software capability. ANYONE will be able to upload software to the archive (even in batch although I haven't finalised the mechanism through which that will be done) and modify the pages. (However not everyone will be able to download everything (that is to protect copyright). Legal issues will also be addressed by fair use and appropriate terms that each submitter and user will have to agree to. All the best, Phoebus ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
