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Silicon Times Report Issue 0086
*---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original Online ST Magazine"
-------------------------------
May 05, 1989 Volume III No.86
=========================================================================
ST Report Online Magazine ½
------------------------------
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida
32236 ~ 6672
R.F. Mariano
Publisher - Editor
_________________________________________
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT
BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EDT
_________________________________________
** F-NET/FIDOMAIL NODE 350 **
Our support BBS carries ALL issues of STReport¿
and
An International list of private BBS systems
carrying STReport¿ for their users enjoyment
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Issue: #86 STReport¿
-------------------
- The Editors' Podium
- CPU REPORT
- PD Round-UP
- Reader Sound-Off (Debut)
- PIRACY IS THEFT - PLAIN and SIMPLE p.III
- Portrait of a Software Thief
- TOS 1.4 Real Close to Release
- CONGRESS INVESTIGATES SOFTWARE RENTAL!
- ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL
=========================================================================
AVAILABLE ON: COMP-U-SERVE ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ THE SOURCE
=========================================================================
> The Editor's Podium¿
Atari Corp. must be under an especially fantastic star of good
fortune. For no matter what they do their loyal following of enthusiastic
users never weakens. For example, all the good favor shown the european
market in the last two years has not slowed down nor even weakened the user
loyalty here in the states. In fact, if anything those who were the
most enthusiastic became more vociferous in their critique of Atari. In
this area we must, without quarter, extend to Atari our highest praise for
keeping a totally professional appearance in the face of extreme criticism.
There is no doubt that some of the character and philosophy of the elders
has indeed influenced the younger, present leaders.
On a more contemporary note, this weekend M.A.C.E. will be
putting on it's show at the Airport Hilton. From the bottom of our hearts
we wish those folks a fantastically successful show. We truly wish to have
the MACE EXPO become a fine example for all the other Usergroups and also to
see the other Usergroups follow in MACE's footsteps and carry on the
tradition of a usergroup supporting Atari by organizing and hosting shows,
fests and expositions. Once again, a big success to ya! We will release a
special report about the M.A.C.E. Expo as soon as all the individual reports
are in...
STReport's first hard copy newletter has been released! The first
250 copies are "in the mail". The next issue will cover the timely and
dramatic resurgence of life Atari has shown beginning with the World of
Atari Show in Anaheim. It is reassuring to see Atari on the comeback
trail.
Ralph....
"1989 - ATARI'S QUEST!"
************************************************************************
:HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
---------------------------------
To sign up for GEnie service: Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
Wait for the U#= prompt.
Type XJM11877,GEnie and hit RETURN.
The system will prompt you for your information.
THE GENIE ATARI ST ROUNDTABLE - AN OVERVIEW
-------------------------------------------
The Roundtable is an area of GEnie specifically set aside for owners and
users of Atari ST computers, although all are welcome to participate.
There are three main sections to the Roundtable: the Bulletin Board, the
Software Library and the Real Time Conference area.
The Bulletin Board contains messages from Roundtable members on a variety
of Topics, organized under several Categories. These messages are all
open and available for all to read (GEnie Mail should be used for private
messages). If you have a question, comment, hot rumor or an answer to
someone else's question, the Bulletin Board is the place to share it.
The Software Library is where we keep the Public Domain software files
that are available to all Roundtable members. You can 'download' any of
these files into your own computer by using a Terminal Program which uses
the 'XMODEM' file-transfer method. You can also share your favorite Public
Domain programs and files with other Roundtable members by 'uploading'
them to the Software Library. Uploading on GEnie is FREE, so you are
encouraged to participate and help your Roundtable grow.
The Real Time Conference is an area where two or more Roundtable members
may get together and 'talk' in 'real-time'. You can participate in
organized conferences with special guests, drop in on our weekly Open
COnference, or simply join in on an impromptu chat session. Unlike posting
messages or Mail for other members to read at some later time, everyone in
the Conference area can see what you type immediately, and can respond to
you right away, in an 'electronic conversation'.
**** Notice: Be sure to participate in the Online Survey ****
************************************************************************
> CPU REPORT¿
==========
Issue # 20
by Michael Arthur
Remember When....
In Winter Comdex 1987, Atari introduced the Abaq Transputer (now the
Atari Transputer Workstation), saying it would be available in or around
Early 1989 at around the $5000.00 dollar price range?
CPU INSIGHTS¿
=============
Turning Point: The End of an Era
---------------------------------
James McHugh, President of C.E.K.A., recently announced that he was
selling a hardware Macintosh emulator for the Atari ST for $250-300, which
not only can read/write to Mac Disks, but runs most Macintosh MIDI programs
and doesn't require Apple's Macintosh ROMs for its use. While Spectre GCR
can already read/write to Mac disks, NO Macintosh-compatible system,
Emulator or otherwise, can operate without the Macintosh ROMs, which hold
significant parts of the Mac's operating system. So how did they do it?
The answer to this question is deceptively obvious: C.E.K.A. has
developed a ROM chipset which CLONES the 128K version of Apple's Macintosh
ROMs. To see how this product will influence the future of both the
Macintosh, and the computer industry itself, we need to take a look at
Apple's history as it pertains to the Macintosh....
In 1984, Steve Jobs, then of Apple, introduced the Apple Macintosh
as a low-end version of their Lisa Computer. Heralding the future of the
microcomputer industry with many concepts, including graphical user
interfaces, bit-mapped graphics, desktop publishing and, with AppleTalk,
the idea of an inexpensive, yet powerful LAN system, the Apple Macintosh
has clearly changed the course of both the microcomputer industry, but
perhaps the entire computer world itself....
During the past 5 years, Apple Corporation has greatly prospered from
its creation, consistently earning more than a billion dollars per quarter
in sales ever since the 3rd - 4th Quarter of 1987, making a name for itself
as an innovator in the industry, and continuously eroding the IBM world's
plateau as the dominant microcomputer standard. But the fact that they
were able to do this while maintaining a monopoly on the Macintosh says
something about what Apple has done to achieve the success it has now.
If Power Corrupts, Then Absolute Power....
First of all, in order to maintain its considerable profit margin,
Apple has used an exorbitant pricing policy, which consists of introducing
a product at a VERY high price, letting it slowly go down in price as Apple
worked to make a replacement product, and (when the replacement product is
introduced at a very high price) making a price cut for the product which
is substantial enough to knock it out of the replacement product's price
range, and (when the product has become "obsolete") halting production of
the product, slashing its prices to a reasonable level, and letting the
remaining inventory (as well as the product) die out. While this policy
may not exactly be consumer-conscientous, because of the fact that Apple
holds a monopoly on a VERY good product, it has been a smashing success
for them.
But since the IBM Clone business was formed because IBM overpriced
its microcomputers, and given that the Macintosh has VERY large profit
potential, why has Apple been able to maintain its monopoly, with only a
few Mac Emulators as the only alternative for using the Macintosh? One
main reason is Apple's litigious history. In addition to having a VERY
prosperous Legal Department, who has helped Apple ever since Franklin
Computers tried to make an Apple II clone, Apple has developed a VERY
hostile stance towards anyone attempting to take steps towards cloning the
Macintosh.
With the exception of Macintosh Emulators. When Dave Small invented
this industry in 1986 with the Magic Sac, the only warning that Apple gave
was that he could not bundle the Macintosh's ROMs with it. Even though the
Magic Sac (and later the Spectre 128) used software to emulate the Mac, it
required Apple's Mac ROMs to function. Apple's early attitude resulted in
an increasing market for Mac Emulators, such as Spectre 128, Aladdin (a
European Mac Emulator), and Readysoft's AMax, a Macintosh emulator for the
Amiga. However, it seems that now, with Apple telling dealers not to sell
Mac ROMs to anyone using a non-Apple environment, the popularity of Mac
Emulators has grown a tad too much for Apple's tastes. And so, with no
Macintosh Clones, no Apple ROMs with which to operate Macintosh Emulators,
and no competition, it seemed as if Apple's monopoly (as well as its legal
department) was going to continue its domination of the industry....
The Phoenix BIOS, James McHugh, and the End of an Era
In the early 1980's, computer companies were faced with the same
situation. It was fairly easy to clone an IBM PC Motherboard, as well as
to obtain the other components necessary for an IBM PC Clone. One small
thing, though: IBM placed its PC BIOS (or Basic Input/Output System) on
a ROM chipset, and while the BIOS was fairly well documented, no one had
any success cloning it without being the victim of IBM's prosperous Legal
Department. This situation went on for a few years, until a company called
Phoenix Technologies entered the picture. This company was faced with an
interesting dilemma: How do you clone IBM's BIOS to the extent of assuring
100 percent compatibility while ensuring (for legal and moral purposes)
that you did not use any part of IBM's source code in ANY way in your BIOS,
and while removing any room for legal entanglements? While the obvious
answer may be not having ANY access to the IBM BIOS, the fact is that in
order to clone any product (especialy such an essential part of a computer)
it is necessary that you have a VERY large degree of in-depth knowledge
about it. Knowledge which can only be gained by intensive studying of
every intricacy of the product....
In order to solve this, Phoenix Technologies invented an entirely
new way of developing a product, called the "clean room" method. In this,
the programmers who actually wrote the IBM BIOS Clone DID NOT have any
access to IBM's actual BIOS code, but only worked from a set of
specifications and other necessary information about how the BIOS operated
and the BIOS's instruction set. Using this method, Phoenix Technologies
developed the Phoenix BIOS, the first IBM Compatible ROM BIOS. The Phoenix
BIOS, having launched the IBM Clone market, is now in over 15 MILLION
IBM Compatible PC's. Also, because in a "Clean Room" development team,
EVERY piece of information that is used must be fully documented, IBM has
never attempted to sue Phoenix Technologies....
James McHugh of C.E.K.A. used a variation of the "Clean Room" method
to clone the 128K Apple Macintosh ROMs. Utilizing over twelve books on the
Macintosh, including Inside Macintosh Volumes I, II, III, IV, and V
(a total of 2224 pages of pure information about the Macintosh), he and his
company were able to singlehandedly produce a Clone of the Apple 128K Mac
ROMs within a 2 1/2 year period. The result of his labor, collectively
termed the "Macintosh Replacement Project", has just recently been
completed.
According to C.E.K.A, their 128K Mac ROMs are not only completely
compatible with Apple's Mac ROMs, but run from 10 to 30 percent faster in
most operations, due to the fact that they are written purely in 68000
assembly language (Apple wrote their Mac ROMs using C). Also, C.E.K.A's
Mac ROMs are much less buggy than Apple's 128K Mac ROMs, performing some
functions (such as memory allocation) more efficiently.
However, C.E.K.A. has added a few conveniences to their Mac ROMs
which aren't in Apple's Mac ROMs. In order to prevent possible piracy of
their Mac ROMs, C.E.K.A stores their Mac ROM code in modified EPROMs
designed at IBM's Research Labs, which ERASE themselves if anyone tries to
dump their code onto disk using software, or copy them using an EPROM
Burner. This, however, brings up some interesting points. There are about
30 badly behaved Macintosh programs that C.E.K.A knows of which make the
same illegal memory calls that the EPROMs "protect" themselves against, and
if you run any of these programs, you risk losing your ROMs. C.E.K.A.
provides a FULL LIST of these programs, and since a pirate may have erased
their EPROMs in an attempt to copy C.E.K.A's code using an EPROM Burner,
C.E.K.A. will not replace any ROMs that were erased UNLESS the program that
triggered the EPROMs into erasing themselves is not on their list of buggy
Mac programs. Inconvenient, but since software pirates....
Also, C.E.K.A.'s Mac ROMs provide some defense against any onslaught
by Mac viruses. According to C.E.K.A., their Mac ROMs monitor all activity
in the Mac's Resource Handler, watching for operations (such as illegal
system calls) which, while not common among ordinary Mac programs, are
usually used in Mac viruses. If it detects any sign of a Mac virus, a
dialog box automatically appears on the screen with a description of the
problem, its diagnosis of whether it is virus-related or not, and (in case
the program causing the trouble may just be a ill-behaved Mac application)
a prompt on whether to eliminate the problem or not....
In response to C.E.K.A.'s work, several of the biggest US computer
manufacturers in the industry, and at least one Japanese corporation, are
said to both be funding C.E.K.A.'s research with a war chest of around
100 million dollars, and using the C.E.K.A. Mac ROMs as a basis for their
own development of Macintosh Compatible computers. Also, C.E.K.A. is
planning to make a pseudo-clone of Apple's NEW 256K Mac ROMs. Apple's
upcoming revision of their 256K Mac ROMs is said to be upgraded for 32-bit
operation, and to have a 32-Bit Color QuickDraw. The difference between
C.E.K.A.'s pseudo-256K Mac ROMs and the Apple 256K Mac ROMs will be that
Apple's 256K Mac ROMs require a 68020 or 68030 to operate, and C.E.K.A.'s
256K Mac ROMs will be able to function with a 68000 installed.
Since some of the Mac "Clones" being made by the companies dealing
with C.E.K.A.'s will be announced before the end of 1989, and given that
the Japanese have wanted to enter the US computer market for a VERY long
time, one could easily see that before 1991....
Mac Emulation, PC Ditto II problems, and running Mac under Unix
However, the first equipment to use these Mac ROMs will just be yet
another Macintosh emulator for the Atari ST. Costing around $250 - $300
dollars, C.E.K.A.'s Mac Emulator is a hardware board which is installed by
removing the 68000 chip from your system, soldering the unit into the
motherboard, and placing the 68000 into a socket built into the C.E.K.A
unit. Since PC Ditto II is installed in the same manner, one will NOT be
able to use PC Ditto II with the first version of C.E.K.A.'s Mac emulator
in the same system. However, one can install JRI's 16 MHZ ST Accelerator
Board alongside the C.E.K.A. unit, and C.E.K.A. is planning to support the
PC Ditto II board in a future revision of the emulator board....
The C.E.K.A. Mac Emulator uses a modified version of the drive
controller chip used in the Amiga to allow ST drives to read/write to Mac
disks, and uses a version of Apple's 8530 Serial Controller Chip to allow
the C.E.K.A. Emulator to run most Macintosh MIDI programs. Also, this
emulator is compatible with almost ALL Macintosh software, and, like the
Aladdin Mac Emulator, places its Emulation Software in EPROMs contained in
the C.E.K.A. Unit, instead of on separate disks. This results in that when
you boot up your system, all that is necessary to run the C.E.K.A. Emulator
is to press SHIFT-TAB on startup. Also, ALL of the emulator, including
Mac ROMs, software EPROMs, and other chips, is in one all-inclusive unit.
C.E.K.A. is a registered licensee of Apple's System/Finder, so with
C.E.K.A. bundling the latest releases of the Mac's System software AND the
ac ROMs necessary for its operation, ST Users have "plug in and play"
functionality that was lacking in previous Macintosh Emulators. Also,
there is a good possibility that Gadgets By Small Inc. may become the
distributor for the ST version of C.E.K.A's Mac Emulator within the next
few months....
C.E.K.A. is also making versions of their Mac Emulator for the NeXT
and Sun/1 Workstations, which will also cost $250.00. Since the NeXT and
the Sun run Unix, the C.E.K.A. Mac Emulator uses a special driver to allow
them to multitask Macintosh programs as a task under Unix. However,
because of some aspects of Unix, the C.E.K.A. Emulator will only be 70
percent Mac Compatible if it is run as a task under Unix. C.E.K.A. also
allows Users to let the Emulator take over the machine, using it like an
ordinary Macintosh. In this mode, 99 percent Mac Compatibility is assured
by C.E.K.A. However, the Mac Emulators for the NeXT and Sun/1 workstations
may not appear until the Third or Fourth Quarters of 1989, as C.E.K.A.
plans to use their 256K Mac ROMs in those versions of their Mac Emulator
to allow the NeXT and Sun to run Mac II software....
In addition, C.E.K.A. has developed an Amiga version of their Mac
Emulator, which will cost $200 dollars. It is less expensive than the ST,
NeXT, and Sun versions, since the C.E.K.A. Emulator uses the same type of
drive controller chip that is used in the Amiga. However, writing the
software for it is a "very low priority" to James McHugh, and the Amiga
version of C.E.K.A's Mac Emulator may not be available for several months,
if it appears at all. Reasons: The difficulty (bother?) of writing for
the Amiga's Operating System, which he says is "totally messed up", and the
everlovable Guru Meditation. It seems that the "Guru" popped up so many
times in his experience with an Amiga that it became too much for him to
bear....
James McHugh used an Atari ST to develop the C.E.K.A. Mac ROMs and
the software for his Mac Emulator, and says that he has never programmed
any Macintosh programs. In fact, he is an avid ST fanatic, having aided
Atari in their efforts to sell customized versions of the Atari ST to the
Soviet Union. James McHugh says that the Atari ST may become a standard in
the USSR, since it has a desperate need for computers, and the US does not
allow any Macintoshes, Amigas, or any reasonably powerful IBM Compatibles
to be exported to Communist nations....
But ponder, if you will, this question:
1) Should one have an "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude in the
computer industry, especially given the factors of vaporware and/or hype?
2) Will the 68030 TT be rejected by the computer industry if Mac II clones
appear on the market?
Editor Note:
-----------
Although Mr. McHugh has assured us that the products he speaks of do
exist, and that he has shipped a test unit to us at STReport, we can neither
endorse or verify that such products exist. When we receive the device
we will provide a complete and impartial review.
--------=====***=====--------
CPU REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿
=======================
West Chester, PA Commodore has appointed Harold D. Copperman, 42 years
---------------- of age, to head the US branch of Commodore Business
Machines Inc. He is replacing Max E. Toy, who
resigned to pursue other interests....
Before this present position, Mr. Copperman worked at
IBM's Data Processing and National Marketing divisions
in various sales, marketing, and management positions,
and recently was Apple's General Manager for Eastern
US operations, directing sales, marketing, support,
and distribution efforts in the East Coast....
Bethesda, MD While OS/2 may be the Operating System of the future,
------------ the majority of OS/2 Users will almost certainly still
use DOS for some applications. However, since OS/2's
DOS Compatibility Box is not as DOS-compatible as
expected, and since OS/2 and DOS use the same names
(CONFIG.SYS, for example) for their boot files, it is
necessary that there be a dual-boot option to allow
PC Users to either boot DOS or OS/2 on start-up. But
OS/2 doesn't come with such an option.
Bolt Systems is now shipping Multiboot, which solves
this problem by modifying the names for OS/2 and DOS's
boot files, and (when the system is first booted up)
giving a prompt asking if the User wants it to boot
DOS or OS/2 onto the system. Cost: $49.95. If you
want to reach Bolt Systems, they can be contacted at
1-301-656-7133....
Portland, OR Metaresearch Inc. has started shipping their new
------------ Digital Ears-I, a peripheral for the NeXT computer
which is able to convert standard audio sound signals
into CD-format digital information, and use the NeXT's
DSP port to input the resulting data for processing by
by the NeXT's Motorola 56001 DSP chip. The included
software also allows you to create NeXT sound files
with the data. This peripheral is being targeted for
markets like speech analysis, and low-cost recording
of CD-quality stereo sound....
Menlo Park, CA Connectix Inc. has recently introduced Virtual, a
-------------- program which uses 2 Megs of DRAM and either the
Motorola 68851 MMU chip (if using a 68020) or the
68030's Memory Management Unit to provide TRUE virtual
memory for the Mac SE/30 and the Macintosh II. Using
an 8 Megabyte segment of a Mac hard disk, Virtual can
allow Mac Users to have 8 Megs of Demand-Paged virtual
memory available for applications. Cost: $695.00
with the Motorola 68851 chip (for 68020-based systems)
or $295.00 for the software alone, in case a 68851
chip or a 68030 is already built in.
While $695 may seem expensive for an 8 Meg virtual
memory system which will be inherently slow and
require lots of hardware, just consider that getting
8 Megs of DRAM chips can cost up to $4000 dollars,
that Multifinder runs VERY well with enough RAM, and
that Apple is reportedly implementing virtual memory
into a future release of the Mac OS, which will need
either the 68851 MMU Chip or the 68030 processor to
function....
Errata: CPU Report Issue 19 mentioned that VKILLER 2.01, a GEM-based
======= PD Utility for fighting viruses, was written by Bob Woodside. The
real name of VKILLER's programmer is George Woodside....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> SYSLAW CO STR Feature¿
---------------------
GEnie SYSLAW Conference 05-03-89
================================
<[Holly] HS> Welcome to our formal conference with Jonathon Wallace, Esq.,
author of the book SYSLAW... Thank you for joining us, Jonathon...
<JON.WALLACE> Thanks very much for inviting me....
<[Holly] HS> Can you tell us a little about yourself and your book before
we start?
<JON.WALLACE> I am a lawyer in private practice in New York City
specializing in computer related matters including BBS law. I am the
co-author with Rees Morrison, of SYSLAW: The Sysop's Legal Manual, and
editor of The Computer Law Letter, a bimonthly newsletter. ga
<[Holly] HS> Thank you, Johnathon...
<[Mel] NIGHTDIVER> Jon, would you talk a bit about where free speech stops
and libel begins. We obviously want to be able to criticize a product freely
but I guess we have to stop at calling the developer names or spreading
rumors that he is going bankrupt. Where does libel start? and what is the
sysops liability for allowing such messages to stand? ga
<JON.WALLACE> Libel varies from state to state. In many places its a
knowingly false statement.In others it may even be a negligently false
statement. The responsibility of a sysop is, in my opinion about equivilent
to the liability of a newspaper publisher for a comment someone else makes
in his paper. Constitutional law says that a public figure can only recover
against a newspaper for a libel done with "actual malice". ga
<[Mel] NIGHTDIVER> For our purposes who would you say is a public figure a
developer pushing his product? A publisher of an online magazine? The sysop?
ga
<JON.WALLACE> There is no precise ddefinition. Any of those might be held
to be a public figure, as would your town councilman, but not your next door
neighbor. ga
<[Mel] NIGHTDIVER> I've heard the sysop's liability in libel compared to a
news stand's liability but that boggles my mind because I never heard of a
newstand claiming a compilation copyright. Would you comment on the sysop's
position? ga
<JON.WALLACE> Ever since there have been BBS's, people have debated
whether a sysop is a publisher, a newsstand, a common carrier a bartender,
etc. A sysop is NOT a common carrier (obligated to carry all messages, can't
control content) Nor is a sysop a newsstand (too passive). I think a sysop
is essentially a sort of publisher. She has the right to edit and control
the contents of the BBS. ga
<[Mel] NIGHTDIVER> Thanks. That's helpful. Done.
<[Holly] HS> Thanks, Mel.
<[Holly] HS> Dave.
<DAVESMALL> I've got a few questions, but I'll try not to hog things for
others. Awhile ago, I ran into a particularly nasty "anarchy" BBS in New
York. It offered files on everything from literally how to poison people to
"kitchen improvised plastic explosives" Is offering info like this legal? Is
there any legal precedent? .ga.
<JON.WALLACE> Dave, the law says that "information doesn't kill people..
people kill people." However distasteful, describing how to make poisons is
constitutionally protected speech. ga
<DAVESMALL> I see. Holly, I have a couple others, I can get back in line
if need be.
<[Holly] HS> Okay... I'll put you back on the queue... :-)
<[Holly] HS> Ralph...
<[Ralph] ST.REPORT> Evening Counselor, nice to see that information is
information and not murderous non-sense. My question is, what recourse, if
any does an individual have when they find that certain information has been
labeled "overly informative" and has been censored as a result?? GA
<JON.WALLACE> Ralph, if you mean censored by the sysop the user really has
no recourse. As I said, a sysop has the right to edit, modify and delete the
BBS's contents..Ralph, ga
<[Ralph] ST.REPORT> I see, well a sysop was not the cause in this
situation....in fact the sysop was quite fair about the entire matter...
much more so than the individual.....I mean as individual to individual.
<JON.WALLACE> Who censored the message, then? ga
<[Ralph] ST.REPORT> The message was deleted as a result of the ensuing
hulabaloo voluntarily by me ga
<JON.WALLACE> Ralph---The sysop is the final arbiter in such cases. It is
only censorship when the government intervenes to prevent speech. ga
<[Ralph] ST.REPORT> I agree, in effect I censored myself to avoid more
controversy, I was looking for your opinion and I thank you for your time.
ga
<[Holly] HS> Thank you, Ralph...
<[Holly] HS> Bob...
<BOB.PUFF> Yes I was wondering if you could comment on self-maintaining
BBSs that automatically validate uploaded files. Is this illegal in itself,
or could the sysop be in trouble if a copyrighted file is up for a bit of
time till he realizes it? ga
<JON.WALLACE> Bob, there are no precise rules in this area yet. My best
guess is that the sysop has an obligation to exercise due care. For that
reason I would try and set things up so that a pirated file would be
discovered in under a couple of days. Therefore, the idea of a
self-validating BBS makes me nervous. ga
<BOB.PUFF> I see. right - but its that couple of days that the file might
be up. ok something to think about. thanks. ga
<[Holly] HS> Thanks, Bob...
<WP.DAVE> Jon, do you consider your SYSLAW book to apply much to
information service sysops, or is it 95% for the private BBS operator? ga
<JON.WALLACE> The book was written for the BBS sysop, but much of whats in
it applies equally to service sysops...e.g., the discussion of copyright,
libel, etc. ga
<WP.DAVE> Thank you Jon. end.
<[Holly] HS> Thanks, Dave...
<[Holly] HS> Dave...
<DAVESMALL> Hi again. As I understand it, the libel law says (basically)
that to commit libel, you have to say something false, know it's false, and
do it with malice intended. First, am I right? (*grin*) Second, does that
apply different to public figures vs. mere mortals ? .ga
<JON.WALLACE> Dave, the rules you stated are correct for a media defendant
(newspaper, etc.) libelling a public figure. If the "libellee" is a private
citizen, the states are free to hold you to a mere negligence standard. ga
<DAVESMALL> Can you expand on "negligence"? ga
<JON.WALLACE> Yes a careless false statement, e.g. something you didn't
bother to verify. ga
<DAVESMALL> I see. Okay, Holly, kick me back into the queue.. *grin*.
Thank you, Jon.
<[Holly] HS> Thanks, Dave...
<CRAIG.S.THOM> Along the lines of the self-validating files...what if
users upload copyrighted text into the message bases? Song lyrics,
documentation, that type of thing? Messages are never held for validation.
<JON.WALLACE> I believe a sysop should arrange to read every new message
every 24 hours or so. If its a big message base, get some assistant sysops
to help. Of course, copyrighted text may not be easy to recognize, but if
you do recognize copyrighted material it should be deleted unless its a fair
use (e.g., brief quote from a book or song, etc.) ga
<[Holly] HS> Thanks, Craig...
<[John] JWEAVERJR> Can you comment on the differences between the legal
standards for libel and slander? And, in particular, which category does
this RTC (as a "printed record" of a live conversation) fall? ga
<JON.WALLACE> Slander is spoken libel is written I am fairly sure that all
online speech will be classified as libel, not slander. Frankly, I am more
familiar with the libel standards, which we have been discussing than with
slander, where they differ. ga
<[John] JWEAVERJR> OK, thanks. ga
<[Holly] HS> Thank you...
<[Holly] HS> Dave...
<DAVESMALL> I did come in a bit late, if this has already been answered;
where might I find your book, and what's it retail at? .ga.
<JON.WALLACE> The book is $19 plus $2 p&h from LLM Press 150 Broadway,
Suite 610, NY NY 10038. ga
<DAVESMALL> I hate to sound dumb, but just to make sure -- I send a check
for $21 to that address? Do I need to put "order" on the envelope or
somesuch? .ga.
<JON.WALLACE> Dave, thats all you have to do. ga
<DAVESMALL> Okay back to libel. Are editors of magazines in general held
responsible for the content of their magazine, or is the writer of a given
article deemed libellous that's held responsible? Or both? .ga.
<JON.WALLACE> Potentially both. ga
<DAVESMALL> The standards would depend on if the libellee (sounds like a
referee! grin) was a public figure or private person, also? e.g., negligence
vs. malice? .ga.
<JON.WALLACE> The US constiitution imposes the standards we discussed for
media defendants, and leaves the states free to make their own laws in all
other cases. ga
<DAVESMALL> Since networks are interstate, which states' laws applies?
<JON.WALLACE> Dave, thats something the courts will have to settle.
Magazines have been successfully sued in states where they sold only a few
copies. ga
<DAVESMALL> (Holly, feel free to stop me anytime). (I don't want to hog
questions). Okay.. back into the queue. *grin* Thanks Holly.
<[Holly] HS> Thanks, Dave.
<[Mel] NIGHTDIVER> I understand there have been some cases regarding
private messages in a BB as opposed to public messages. Does that mean that
if someone sends me Email here on GEnie and I forward it to someone else,
that I could be in trouble? ga
<JON.WALLACE> Mel, we are getting into a whole new area here. The
Electronic Coimmunications Privacy Act (ECPA) which protects the privacy of
email. In the case you described. There would be no liability under ECPA,
because the recipient of the message has the right to make it public. ga
<[Holly] HS> Mel? <[Holly] HS> I guess he's done. (Hang on, folks...
technical difficulties.:-)
<[MEL] DARLAH> Thanks. I'm having technical difficulties. Here in my
wife's clothes. Done
<[Holly] HS> Thanks, Mel...I won't ask... I have a related question,
Jonathon...are you familiar with Thompson v. Predaina? (The case that never
was... *grin*)
<JON.WALLACE> Yes, I read the pleadings, and have talked to and been
flamed by, Linda Thompson <grin>. ga
<[Holly] HS> Can you summerize the case a bit for the rest of us and give
us your opinion? (I happen to personally know both parties... Linda was a
friend of mine. Bob is a friend of mine. Key word: "was") Everyone's been
flamed by Linda Thompson. *grin* Linda sued Bob under the ECPA claiming
that he had disclosed private messages and files of hers to the public. He
was not the recipient of the files or messages and, if the facts as stated
in the complaint are true, it seems as if there was a technical ECPA
violation. The case never went any further because (I am told). Predaina
declared bankruptcy (since you know him,you can clarify if this turns out
not to be the case). ga
<[Holly] HS> Bob did declare bankruptcy, which was a wise move. I didn't
read the complaint, however, I also know that when Linda (and Al) had a BBS,
they were "guilty" of exactly what I understood Bob did. (Allegedly)
<JON.WALLACE> I've often thought it was a too drastic move on his part.
Based on the information I had, I doubted the case would have resulted in
drastic damages, even if there was a technical violation. ga The moral of
the story: Don't disclose private mail of which you are not the sender or
recipient. ga
<[Holly] HS> I think it was very precautionary on Bob's part. And, if I
understand what happened, the case was dropped because Linda was suing
partially on the grounds of character defamation which allowed Bob to dredge
up some of Linda's rather tawdry past, allegedly. (I don't think I'm
spelling that right. It looks wrong. :-) Thanks, Jonathon... I have a few
more for later... :-)
<[Holly] HS> Deb...
<DEB> Hi Jon, this is deb! Christensen, I take care of the Commodore and
Amiga areas here on GEnie. My question is an unresolved one about
copyrights and music. Are there any 'fair use' guidelines which affect
musical arrangements to computer transcriptions which people upload and
distribute for their electronic friends? ga
<JON.WALLACE> Deb....The upload of a copyrighted song or image in
electronic form is a copyright violation. I have never yet heard of a case
of a court finding such an upload to be a "fair use" mainly because courts
haven't really yet dealt with the issue of uploads at all. However, I think
the argument for a fair use is slim, considering that the standards of fair
use include whether the use.... is commercial, and how much of the work is
copied. An upload to a commercial service of an entire song or image, for
download by people paying connect charges, seems like a pretty clear
copyright infringement. ga
<DEB> So, a musician does not have a right to arrange music and perform it
for his friends? Is it the uploading that is a violation or the computer
arrangement for the performance?ga
<JON.WALLACE> A private performance is not a copyright violation but there
is nothing private about an upload to a commercial service with more than
100,000 users. ga
<DEB> And to a public BBS?
<JON.WALLACE> Public BBS: I would say its the same thing, even though not
quite as commercial. ga
<DEB> Aha, so it isn't anything to do with cost involved. It is the actual
transcription which is the problem? I *know* digitized music is a problem
but had always presumed we had the same right to make an arrangment on a
computer as we did on paper. :-(
<JON.WALLACE> Deb, I would say you do have the same right to make an
arrangement, just not to distribute it to other people.ga
<DEB> OK, thanks. I keep collecting opinions.
<JON.WALLACE> Gotten many so far? <grin>
<[Holly] HS> Thanks, Deb...
<DEB> yea, none agree. ;-)
<JON.WALLACE> Ask three lawyers, get five opinions. <grin>.
<[Holly] HS> Thanks!
<BOB.PUFF> What are the legalities of telephone companies charging
business rates for BBS telephone lines? I understand they have either
proposed it, or tried it in some places. Your comments? ga
<JON.WALLACE> It has happened a lot, but I understand in several places
concerted efforts to communicate with the telco got them to back down. Not
aware if anyone ever mounted a legal challenge, though. ga
<BOB.PUFF> I see. I don't see how a bbs constitutes the charge, but I
guess there is a large grey area there. ok thanks
<[Holly] HS> Thanks, Bob...
<[Holly] HS> Doug...
<JON.WALLACE> The telco's argument was that the BBS was providing a
quasi-commercial service. If you look at any BBS list, you will see a
proportion of company sponsored BBS's that confuse the issue. ga
<DOUG.W> Jon, earlier you stated that the recipient of EMail was free to
distribute that mail. Is there any way to ensure privacy in EMail? Would a
Copyright notice on each message prevent further distribution ?
<JON.WALLACE> I assume you are asking if there is a way to keep the
recipient of a message from making it public.
<DOUG.W> Yes.
<JON.WALLACE> The answer is not really. Putting a copyright notice on
might give many people pause, but suppose someone violated that copyright,
what are the damages? ga
<DOUG.W> (I'll take that rhetorically *grin*) Thanks. (done)
<[Holly] HS> Thanks, Doug...
<DAVESMALL> Got two for you. First, with BBS's and networks being so
(relatively) new, are there a large number of libel cases of stuff going
over the nets, as opposed to say magazine cases? E.g., is it a growing
practice? *grin* .ga.
<JON.WALLACE> I am only aware of one case of online libel, the one
discussed in my book, the Dun & Bradstreet case (and I guess Thompson v.
Predaina also included that element).ga
<DAVESMALL> Second, do you find that judges and juries in such cases (jury
assuming a jury trial, of course) have a great deal of "learning curve" to
go through about networks? Most people I know outside computers don't know a
genie from a compuserve from a hole in the wall ... they can't imagine what
the BBS world is like. Does this make such a case tougher/easier on an
attorney? ga.
<JON.WALLACE> I frequently will try a computer case to the judge, waiving
the jury demand less education to do but I wouldn't necessarily do that if I
were the defendant in a libel case. Depends what part of the country you're
in; in Manhattan, you could probably get a jury that knew what a modem was.
ga
<DAVESMALL> And if not, it would probably be prudent to try to educate one
vs. six ? Fair enough.. okay I'm done
<JON.WALLACE> It really depends on the circumstances..deciding when to go
for a jury also has to do with how much you need, and can exploit, a
sympathy factor. ga
<DAVESMALL> Thank you..
<[Holly] HS> Thanks, Dave...
<[Holly] HS> I have one last question myself before we wrap up.... (which
is not intended as a pun with regard to my question... *grin*) Shrink wrap
licenses, are they enforceable? Legal? ga
<JON.WALLACE> There has been some disagreement on this but my persoanl
opinion is that the average shrinkwrap license would not stand up. It was
never negotiated, never really agreed to and can't convert what is obviously
a sale into something else any more than calling a car a plane will change
it into one. ga
<[Holly] HS> However, if it is visible before the buyer actually buys then
can a presumption be made that they have read and agreed?
<JON.WALLACE> There are still other problems. The buyer hasn't dealt with
the publisher, but with a retailer. There is no "privity" of contract. ga
<[Holly] HS> "privity" meaning... ?
<JON.WALLACE> No direct contractual relationship between publisher and
purchaser, despite the fiction that the license purpotts to create. ga
<[Holly] HS> Then a company who insists that this disk and this software
still belongs to them, you don't feel it is enforceable?
<JON.WALLACE> It would depend on the circumstances, but if you buy an off
the shelf product at Software to Go, in my opinion, you have purchased the
copy even if there is a shrinkwrap license that says you have only licensed
it. ga
<[Holly] HS> Interesting... another point of licensing... have you read
the Apple licensing agreement?
<[Holly] HS> (Stealing everything from Cat 18 here... *grin*)
<JON.WALLACE> I read it some time ago, when the case started.
<[Holly] HS> It states that Mac ROMs can only be used in an Apple machine.
Although there is contention that the ROMs are the heart of the machine, so
whether they goest, so goest the machine.
<JON.WALLACE> Sorry, I thought you meant the Apple/Microsoft license. ga
<[Holly] HS> For those of us who use an emulator, like Spectre or Magic
Sac, it could be an important point. (Oh, sorry! :-)
<JON.WALLACE> The question is a very tricky one. On the whole, it would
be.... difficult to prevent a legitimate purchaser of a ROM from doing
anything he wanted with it, including sticking it in another machine. But I
haven't seen the license you refer to. ga
<[Holly] HS> That would be an interesting discussion unto itself... Well,
Jonathan (did I FINALLY get it right? *grin*) thank you SO much for coming.
<JON.WALLACE> Thanks for inviting me. I really enjoyed it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Theft! III STR FOCUS¿
====================
We have already introduced the issue of piracy and attempted to pin
down what, exactly, piracy is, and some of the reasons for and solutions
to the problem. We continued with a short history of piracy in the Atari
community, and elaborated on some of the reasons it has persisted. The
focus now is how to stop piracy, but first an update on our poll.
Although all the results are not yet in, it is already apparent that
opinions are not universal on many of our scenarios. For those who missed
STReport #84, we asked for feedback from our readers as to which of the
following scenarios constitute piracy:
1) Your program is installed on the hard drive on your laptop which you
carry back and forth between your peripherals (monitor, printer, modem,
etc.) at home and work.
2) Your program is on a floppy disk, which you carry back and forth to
work.
3) Your small company buys one copy of an $500 database and installs it
on both computers.
4) Your big company buys one copy of a $500 database and installs it on
all 20 computers in the building.
3) Your work specific program is installed on your hard drives at work
and home from the same floppy disk.
4) You take a copy of the latest release of an expensive word processor/
database/cad program for personal use at home.
5) You use a shareware program/accessory regularly, but do not register
it with the programmer.
6) Your program is on a floppy disk (the original, no backup, no hard
disk) which you take to a friends house to show him how well it works.
7) You take a back-up (or it is on a hard drive) to a friends house.
8) You take the original disk (no backup/no hd) and leave it with him
to try out for a couple days.
9) You take a backup to a friend and leave it for a few days. He is
impressed, and buys a copy for himself.
10) You take a backup to a friend and leave it for a few days. He is
not impressed and formats the disk.
11) You take a backup to a friend and leave it for a few days. He is
impressed and keeps it but does not buy a copy.
12) You use an emulator at home with the factory ROMS installed to allow
it to work.
If you have not yet sent us your opinion you can still do so at: E-MAIL: CIS 73710.1052
Compuserv 73710,1052
Genie ST.REPORT
Delphi RMARIANO
FNET/FIDOMAIL Node 350
US SNAIL: STReport INC. - PO BOX 6672, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32205-6672
In addition, any comments you may have on the subject are welcome.
Due to the widespread nature of the problem of software theft, only a
concerted effort to address all of the reasons it persists will suffice.
(Actually, there are no "reasons" that it exists, only excuses for
these illegal activities). Let's explore some of these excuses and some
possible ways to eliminate them.
Excuse 1: It's cheaper to steal it than buy it.
Solution: What usually prevents people from committing most forms of
theft (shoplifting, burglary, etc.) is the fear of being arrested and
thrown in jail. This attitude does not exist concerning software
theft because pirates are rarely punished. The only way to change this
attitude is to make it illegal to steal software and enforce it by
actively seeking out and busting pirate boards. Some software
companies are already attempting to do this by offering rewards of free
software to users who finger pirate boards. Unfortunately, most
companies seem resigned to either accept reduced sales, or move to
greener pastures where bulk sales offset losses to software theft.
Excuse 2: "I can't afford it."
Solution: A possible solution would be to target special deals to
users that cannot spend a great deal of money on programs. One such
deal in effect is the reduced price of Wordperfect to students. Other
options would be to offer less powerful or earlier versions for reduced
prices. By encouraging users to enter at the level they can afford, a
basic program without all the bells and whistles, and offering a clear
upgrade policy for the future, users would be assured of the option to
get those features when they can afford it.
Excuse 3: Hostile attitudes towards software companies used to
rationalize theft.
Solution: Software companies could improve public relations by
actively attempting to satisfy the needs of the users. For example,
they could provide after the sale service in the form of notification
of updates or bugs. If I spend $50 for a program, $.25 for a stamp,
and take the time to fill out the questionaire (which is valuable to
them for market demographics), I don't see why the company can't
spend $.25 to notify me that an upgrade is available. All they would
have to do is include it with the advertisements they immediately begin
sending.
Major software companies could also take a lesson from shareware
developers. Upon registration of three shareware programs, two
developers, George Woodside (Turtle) and Gordon Moore (Superboot) sent
me personal letters (one answering a specific question)thanking me for
by contribution. They also told me how to contact them about problems,
and that I would be informed about any updates. The third developer
(Doubleclick) sent a disk full of their latest programs, followed a
week later by a postcard announcing their bbs supporting their
programs. Now that's what I call service.
Although large companies selling thousands of copies would find it
difficult to provide this type of service, there is an alternative
that would be just as effective; support on the major services. Many
developers are already ding this with positive results. Questions are
answered, bugs are posted, and feedback flows freely between developers
and users. Many send updates via patch programs that build on the
original program and produce an updated version.
Excuse 4: "I don't want to spend the money until I'm sure it's the
right program for my needs."
Solution: A number of companies have started a trend that neatly
addresses this problem; the release of demo versions. These demos
allow users to try before they buy. The demo does everything the real
version does except produce final results i.e. save, print, etc.
Granted that documentation would be unavailable for perusal and final
results would not be available for inspection, but potential users
would learn a great deal more about a program this way than from
advertisements, reviews, or even store demonstrations.
So far, all of our solutions have involved changes in marketing
strategies by software companies. Is there anything users can do? The
answer is a most emphatic YES! Other than (obviously) not stealing
software, the could contribute by not tolerating or cooperating with
pirates. They could also not participate on pirate boards. User groups
could assist by emphasizing the problems and solutions to piracy, and
ensure that meetings are not used as opportunities to exchange software.
Users can also encourage software companies by registering their software,
and even sending letters or e-mail posts of appreciation for outstanding
programs or support.
Software theft is a problem that affects both the software companies,
who incur losses, and the legitamate users, who have to pay inflated
prices to partially offset losses caused by piracy. Atari ST users are
particularly affected due to the lingering reputation of 8-bit piracy,
and because the userbase is too small to support the leaching affect
caused by pirates. Only by working together to solve the problem will we
be able to ensure the continued growth of the ST market.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> STR Tech Notes¿
==============
COURTESY OF:
ProfiComp GmbH
Rappenbergestrasse 18a
D-7507 Pfinztal 1
[1] - SETTING UP THE VOLTAGE ON 520STF - 1040STF - MEGA STs
Machines equipped with an 'ASPF-34' power supply cannot be
adjusted by a potentiometer. Located on the power supply in
the upper right corner is the resistor, R-14, rated at (5.1k).
To adjust the voltage it is necessary to install a second
resistor in parallel to R14. If your computer shows a voltage
of 4.6v use a 39k resistor. If the voltage is 4.8v then use a
68k resistor.
[2] - Mega Units that Act up When one or more 'high' demand
cartridges are installed.
Example: Discovery Cart and Spectre or Alladin
In Germany, Atari has delivered a number of Megas with
a marginal performance IC in two locations. The problem is
caused by the by the drivers for the address bus (U84 & U85
- 74LS244. These chips do not deliver enough power to
drive more circuits than those already in the computer.
Therefore, additional hardware installed in the ROM port or
the expansion port may cause malfunctions of the entire
system. There are two possible methods used to correct this
oversight.
A) Replace the U84 & U85 with a more powerful chip. USE 74ALS244
B) Solder an additional 74LS244 piggyback on the existing U84 & U85.
The output will be more than ample for safe use.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> SUE!! STR FOCUS¿
===============
LAWSUITS HELP US ALL?
---------------------
by R.F.Mariano
Suddenly, the lights are on and a number of folks have realized that
there is a lawsuit happening that involves statements made on both GEnie and
CIS where one individual feels they were defamed, etc. by another. From a
purely neutral posture it becomes easy to see where this sort of thing can
lead folks to a state of full silence on issues and products. Obviously,
if the individual offering the criticism makes sure the critique of a
given product is truthful and void of emotional personal attack, then no
wrong has been committed. However, if this critique wanders off and
supposition is offered as fact then it is a different story.
This particular piece of litigation is not all that earth shaking
but ...it is significant in that it "opens" the door to future
possibilities of heartache and headache from prospective litigants coming
out of the woodwork for any number of reasons. We feel the sysops on ALL
the major services act in a very responsible manner and do, in fact, MAKE
EVERY ATTEMPT to keep the lines accurate and to the point. Understandably,
certain messages and remarks can and do slip through the cracks, we must be
prepared to overlook these occurances or we, the frontrunners of Vidtext
Systems will effectively ruin it's future. By instigating litigation every
time we are miffed by candid and often humorous statements made by many
individuals. (This we speak of out of experience.)
In the same token, we all must rally behind common sense and good
judgement and speak up about those who make personal attacks or
slanderous remarks. If we as the users do not, then we, (indirectly by
our complacency), are condoning these outrageous and immature practices.
At this point in time, it becomes encumbent upon all of us to lend
advise to the litigants that the only winners in situation such as this are
the attorneys. The parties involved must be encouraged to resume or, at
least, leave open a line of communication for the purpose of resolving
their differences at the personal and human level.
STReport, therefore, offers it's time and attention to both
litigants in this situation in an honest and sincere attempt at bringing
these parties together for the purpose of a friendly and lasting agreement
and the resolution of the suit. The entire userbase would simply love to
see an end come to this situation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> A Thief - STR Feature¿
=====================
"TO BE ..OR, NOT TO BE"
---------------------
by Lloyd E. Pulley
One of the main discussions recently on the major BBS services and
on-line publications has been about the various forms of software
theft. Much of the discussion has been about what is software theft,
why does it exist and what can be done about it. And is it even as
wide spread as some think? These topics do need discussing and
commenting on, but there is also one other aspect of software theft
that seems have been missed in these discussions and that is theft of
software from other computers.
(Software theft is commonly known as 'software piracy' or just plain
'piracy' but it should be called by what it really is and that is
theft.)
Various excuses have been given as to why software theft exists and
what, if anything, can be done to eliminate the cause for those
excuses -- NOTE: The word that I used was EXCUSES and not REASONS.
There is no legitimate reason to steal software, only excuses and
rationalizations!.
There has also been much speculation upon how wide spread software
theft is in the ST market, how the ST market's software theft compares
to other computer markets, how it effects the development of future
products on the ST and even on how it can effect the future of the ST
itself. Various suggestions have been made as to what actions can be
taken to limit software theft in the ST market and how to implement
these suggestions.
While all of these items are important, they are also the most
visual and obvious - like the tip of an iceberg. But like the iceberg,
there are many aspects of software theft that aren't as obvious to the
casual observer and 'remain hidden beneath the surface'. One of these
'hidden' aspects is the theft of software from other computers that can
be ran on the ST via the various emulators.
Emulator's will allow you to run software from one computer type on
another. Spectre128, MacSac and PC Ditto are the main brands available
for the ST (but there are others rumored to be on their way).
Spectre128 and MacSac allow the emulation of the MacIntosh and PC Ditto
emulates the IBM/PC software.
There has even been debate as to the legality of some of these
emulators due to the fact that some of them need the MacIntosh roms to
work. But until such time comes that the courts and lawyers decide
that they are illegal, we'll assume that they are legal to use. The
problem is not with the emulators themselves but in the 'hurray for me,
to hell with thee' attitude of many of the people that use them.
Many ST owners are forced to use Mac's or PC's in school or the work
place but for their personal use, they prefer the ST. With an
emulator, they can bring home their work from school or the office and
still be able to use their ST's. But many times what also happens, is
that they bring home a copy of the software that they're using at
school or office to use with their emulator. They either don't know
about or ignore the fact that it's illegal to use copyrighted software
on two different computers without the original copy also being in the
same location - excepting where licensing agreements have stated
otherwise, but this is the exception. (In other words, you can't buy
one copy of Word Writer and install it on two different computers at
the same time.)
Also, some people seem to think that since they've spent money on
the emulator, that they shouldn't have to pay for the software. A
couple of comments that have been heard many times are "What? You mean
I have to buy both PC Ditto and MS DOS?" or "I paid $300 for Spectre128
with the roms and can't afford the software.". These people also are
ignoring the fact that it's as illegal to steal Mac or PC software as
it to steal ST software.
Then there are the people that would never dream of stealing a piece
of ST software but see nothing wrong with stealing Mac or PC software.
There have even been cases of dealers giving away MS DOS with every PC
Ditto purchased.
Almost everyone agrees that all types of software theft is wrong,
but there seems to be an attitude in the ST market that stealing ST
software is 'more wrong' than stealing other software. Listings from
'pirate' BBS's have been publicized that show some of the stolen ST
files but no one shows the listings of the stolen Mac and PC files -
and many of these BBS's also carry stolen files for the Mac and PC.
Programs like PAGEMAKER, MICROSOFT WRITE, CRYSTAL, EXCELL, MICROPHONE
II, and LOTUS 123 are never mentioned. An outsider might assume that
software theft from other computers is ignored by ST community (or has
a blind e
ye turned toward it) because of all of the ST emulator sales
that this theft brings to the ST market.
It's a part of human nature that people are more interested in what
happens 'at home' than 'across the street' and software theft on the ST
hurts 'us' while theft on the Mac and PC's only effects 'them'. But
does that mean that 'selective righteous indignation' about software
theft should be excused? Should a person only be concerned if a thief
breaks into his home and ignore it if the thief breaks into a neighbors
house? Remember, a thief is a thief. If he will steal from your
neighbor, he will steal from you also. (Plus, if the thief is stealing
from others and 'living' with you, does that make you an accessory?)
The time has come for the ST market to decide that ALL theft is
equally wrong. That no matter how good a ST supporter/user a person
might be, if he steals software from another computer to use on his ST,
he's just as much a thief as someone that only steals ST software and
should be treated as such.
PC Ditto is a trademark of Avant Garde Systems
Spectre 128 is a trademark of GBS Inc.
Mac Sac is a trademark of Data Pacific
MacIntosh is a trademark of Apple
IBM PC is a trademark of IBM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> PD Round-Up STR Review¿
======================
PD Round Up
===========
by William Y. Baugh
Adventure Game Creator
By D. R. Malmberg and M. J. Welch
Imagine yourself sitting at your ST, playing your favorite
Infocom game. You've just traversed (for the thousandth time)
the same "...twisty corridors that all look alike" or "It's dark.
You can't feel, touch, hear or see a thing..." and you're just
about fed up. Have you ever thought to yourself, "Sheesh, I
could write a better game than this?" Well if you have or if
you're just interested in creating your own text
adventures...well the wait is over! The folks from Softworks
have ported over a tremendous shareware program that allows you
to use your own wordprocessor or text editor and create your own
Infocom type games.
The actual creating part of the program is split into two
features. The first is the Standard Level games that you may
create using just a text editor, no programming background is
needed. The text you type is in a rigid format, which is then
used by the program to form the adventure. The second is the
Professional Level that uses an adventure game meta-language to
create more complex games. In either of the two levels you may
have "up to 200 locations, 100 inanimate objects and 100 animate
objects." The vocabulary of the game is defined by yourself.
This is an extremely nice feature, because in some games emphasis
on syntax seemed to be lacking at the time of programming, so
finding the right word becomes the hardest part of the game. In
AGT, you are not restricted to the number of words; but the
authors state that the average game will have around 400 words or
more. You may also have complex input commands; i.e. commands
separated by commas or using pronouns to act on objects, etc.
Another nice feature of AGT is that since the files are written
in ASCII, you may download adventures from the IBM section and
compile them on the ST. Since the ARCed file of AGT did not come
with any examples, I had to go hunting. There are around six
source files for the IBM in their own section and in the Games
Roundtable on GEnie. On CIS, there are two games in the ST
section; Colossal Cave and Grail. Both games are very
interesting. The first is a rendition of a classic adventure
game that has been kicking around since the mainframe days. The
second is a spoof (if you can believe it) of Monty Python's Holy
Grail, and it is done very well. It has some very clever options
programmed into it.
AGT will run on either color or monochrome on any system. My
only gripe currently is that you have to compile and run from
.TTP files. That's the pits, hopefully the authors will write a
shell program for it soon. Since the program has been on other
computers for awhile, support seems to be very good for the
program. They have several different shareware options and for
(I think) a reasonable price. One option is to register the
program and receive a printed copy of the manual. This is not a
bad idea since the manual is 87 pages long! The only problem
here is that it is written for the IBM...but it really doesn't
differ that much from the Atari and there is an Atari "READ.ME"
to explain differing functions.
AGT is a wonderful program; one I'm hoping to have more time to
really use. As I said before, if your interested in writing,
check this one out, I think you'll like it.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Colorburst 2.0
By Peter Beery
Colorburst 2.0 is a new shareware paint program that allows you
to have 3200 colors on the screen (low-res) or 800 (medium-res)!
This is incredible! You have all of the features of a full blown
paint program (such as DEGAS), but are not limited to just 16
colors.
The downloadable file on the services is actually a working demo
version of the final program. You are limited to 15 main level
moves, but you may save your work, quit, reboot and start from
where you left off. The program is written entirely in Laser C
and is extremely fast. (The author has also done some very nice
effects on his dialogue boxes and the actual AES work.) When you
send off for the working copy, the author states that you will
get more functions to the program plus the entire source code.
For the price of just $12, I think this is well worth it.
As stated before, you have all of the options you are used to in
store bought programs like patterned fills, air brush (with
definable size and shape), line widths, and text (sizes from 4-26
points). All features of the program are selected from a tool
box that appears at eh start of the program and when you press
both mouse button simultaneously. From the tool box there are
differing icons for each of the functions. From here you may
also go into a GEM menu where you may load in Colorburst (old
Colorburst 3000 files are not compatible), DEGAS and Neochrome
files. A couple of things that I hope the author took care of in
the released version is that you draw with the mouse pointer
shaped as a hand (as in DC Formatter style), even when you are in
airbrush! The second, and is related to the last complaint, is
that you cannot select different brush shapes! I feel that both
of these features are important to a drawing program. A third
suggestion would be to have a magnifying function, but I don't
know how hard that would be to program!
The reason Mr. Beery gets his huge color selection is that he has
changed the standard RGB values from 0-7 to 0-14, in this way you
get shading in between the standard colors. Also, you may
display 16 colors on each horizontal line, with having a
different 16 on each of the 200 lines! This is defintely an
impressive program.
Programs, like both of these reviewed, are quite amazing
endeavors and deserve our support. Most of the shareware
products coming out these days rival store bought programs (Opus
2.0 for example). Please, if you download these programs and use
them, register them. It's a big boost for the programmers and
for our userbase.
(This will be a monthly article. I welcome any opinions that you
may have on this or other articles.
GEnie: W.Baugh
CIS: 72027,3603)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> CONGRESS STR FOCUS¿
===================
* HATCH TRIES TO CLOSE THE HATCH! *
Proposed Recording and Software Lending Ban
-------------------------------------------
Senator Orrin Hatch is proposing a law against lending and rental of
software and musical recordings.
This would take away (in one area) a public freedom that has existed
since the beginning of copyright law: the freedom to borrow and lend.
I found out about this from librarians to other librarians. The
American Library Association considers this a serious threat. There is no
telling how far it would go; eventually, public libraries could be forced
out of existence by limiting them to media which by then have become
obsolete.
Hatch's position is that people rent software only in order to copy
it. I'm told this untrue --people often rent software to decide whether to
buy it--but even when people do want to copy it for their own use, they are
only trying to exercize another traditional right which had existed in
copyright law for hundreds of years and was taken away from us fairly
recently.
It seems that there is a continuing effort to restrict or eliminate
traditional rights of "fair use" of copyrighted works. Whenever people
start really using these rights, and deriving a lot of benefit from them,
publishers try to take them away.
The reason given by the publishers is that they make less money than
they would if people did not have these rights. In other words, they think
the law should be designed to maximize their profits, and the interests of
the users are secondary.
They have their priorities backwards. The purpose of copyright
(stated in the constitution and by the Supreme Court) was to benefit the
public in general--helping publishers is just a means to an end. We must
not let the means wag the end.
Regaining these rights would be much harder than preserving them.
If we can muster enough opposition now, we can avoid a much harder fight
in the future.
Please help wake people up. Write Senators Hatch and Kennedy,
[Kennedy also supports the bill, and as a national figure, has a national
constituency] and your own senators. A sufficient address is:
Senator so and so
[United States Senate]
Washington, DC [20510]
The Bill is S.198, the Computer Software Rental Amendments Act, and
is being considered in the Copyright and Trademarks Subcommittee of the
Senate Judiciary Committee.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿
======================
- New York City, NY **** MAIL ORDER 520ST AND 1040ST NEEDED ****
----------------
Opinions about the availability of Atari computers to US Service
Personnel has begun reaching some sympathetic ears. The Navy Exchange,
long noted for being steadfast Apple and Commodore supporters, has once
again looked the other way as far as Atari is concerned. Now is the time
to have the all but the MEGA lines made available through mail order.
People in the Armed Services are placed at a decided disadvantage by Atari
not allowing 'some' of the product line go through mail order. Instead of
discontinuing these lines 520-1040ST allow these to be sold through mail
order. Keep the Mega and up for the dealers.
- West Berlin, Germany *** OVERSCAN-HYPERSCREEN IS REAL! ***
--------------------
Stefan Hartmann from West-Berlin, Germany, has invented the
OVERSCAN/HYPERSCREEN for the Atari ST computers. Which was recently
discussed in a publication by Markt and Technik Verlag ,Germany in their
new ST 68000 magazine May 89 issue. It allows the ST computers to display
840*284 pixels in midres and 420*284 pixels in lowres !(50 Hz GEM Shell
resolution). The monochrome mode has been adapted to 672*480 pixels to
work with the GEM-Shell with the SM124 monitor without distortion.
With this adaptation for example, Easy Draw and Kuma Graph 3.0 and many
more programs work very well. The OVERSCAN modification inside the ST
allows 800*500 pixels, but this requires a hardware modification on the
SM124. This modification is inexpensive and very easy to install:
Costs: only about 2 Dollars!
- San Francisco, CA ***** TOS 1.4 NOT REAL? - DEVELOPERS *****
-----------------
In an obvious move to get Atari off their duffs as far as TOS 1.4 is
concerned, a number of Developers are not publicly supporting 1.4 and are
saying so by telling the users who inquire; "TOS 1.4? all we know about is
an experimental TOS. When they finally release Ver 1.4, we will support
it!" The recent cry is once again, 'tos 1.4 is for developers only,
therefore we cannot recognize it as the accepted OS at this time.' Atari
meanwhile, has stated that there will be no further software releases of
1.4, there will only be chip sets offered to the developers at this time.
Of course, TOS 1.4 is very real and hopefully will be available for the
userbase within 60 days...
- Columbus, OH ***** Compuserve Welcomes ISD Online *****
------------
ISD MARKETING has joined the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN)! ISD
Marketing are the publishers of many leading Atari ST productivity
software packages, including: VIP Professional, Masterplan, STAccounts,
Accounts 2.0, DynaCADD, and Calamus.
LIBRARY 17, Message Section 17, and Conference Room 17 of ATARIVEN
have all been established for official online ISD Marketing product support.
You can address your messages directly to ISD Marketing at User ID number
76004,2246.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> STR SOUND OFF¿
=============
Got a beef? Not getting Satisfaction? Nobody Listening?
Drop STReport a line and we will try and help.
A user tells us.....
The story that you are about to read involves the sordid details of
certain business practices involving tech-specialities Co., a maker
of memory upgrades and other assorted add-ons for the Atari ST
computers.
In early January 1988 I ordered a 520-1 (512K) memory upgrade from
tech-specialities Co. (TSC from here on) When it arrived, I noticed
that two pins were missing from the sub-board which plugs in under the
video shifter chip. Since I needed the extra memory to run a bulletin
board I plugged it in anyway, hoping that it would work. Needless to
say, not only did it not work, but it also fried the 68000 and the
multi-function chip (MFP). The motherboard was inspected and fixed by
an Atari-certified service technician.
In late January 1988, I sent the upgrade back to TSC and demanded a
refund of my money. After receiving no response for two weeks, I
called TSC to see what was being done about refunding my money. Their
technician informed me that *I* had broken the upgrade and would
therefore be charged a 25% restocking fee, plus an unspecified amount
for repairing the board, which was defective when I received it.
Later that week I called and wrote to the Better Business Bureau of
Metropolitan Houston to see if they could help me solve my problem with
TSC. At the end of March, the BBB informed me that "the company failed
to acknowledge our correspondence. (More than 80% of the companies we
contact about a complaint do reply.)" That left no doubts in my mind
as to how reputable and trustworthy the people at TSC were/are.
Having not heard from either TSC or the BBB for awhile, I wrote
letters to the editors of ST-Log and ST Informer in August 1988. TSC
advertises in both both magazines. Neither one responded.
I finally got completely frustrated and gave up on the matter.
Whenever possible though, I try to warn people about purchasing from
TSC, because I heard about several others being ripped off by them as
well.
All I can say is this: DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM TSC before giving
it careful consideration, there are many other REPUTABLE places that
you can get the same items from.
-John Wise, SysOp
Bit Heaven BBS
(301) 967-6575
Fnode #80
tech-specialities Co.
909 Crosstimbers Street
Houston, Texas 77022
(713) 691-4527/8
ATT: Mr. Kay Vaumund
Folks, this reporter called Tech-Specialties and asked about this
situation, at first a pleasant speaking receptionist answered the call and
referred me to a gent who spoke with a heavy accent. When the problem was
detailed to him, he stated " I remember this case, the guy is a jerk anybody
who fries a 68000 is jerk, print what you want, I don't care. He then
abruptly hung up the phone.
We called back and spoke with the secretary, she informed us that, as far
as she knew, the matter still had not been resolved. She also informed us
that her boss, Mr. Valumund, was prone to blowing off 'steam' quite often
and likened him to a popular cartoon character, with a small mustache, of WW
II vintage.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> A "QUOTABLE QUOTE"¿
==================
"Creativity and Originality are no accident
and
are usually the work of ordinary people"
"1989 - ATARI'S QUEST"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ST-REPORT¿Issue #86 "Your Independent News Source" May 05, 1989
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ½ copyright 1989
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those
of ST Report¿ or CPU Report¿. Reprint permission granted, unless noted
otherwise. All reprints must include ST Report or CPU Report and the
author's name. All information presented herein is believed correct, ST
Report or CPU Report, it's editors and staff are not responsible for
any use or misuse of information contained in this publication.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
