Important note for IOSPIRIT-costumers regarding safety copies

[IOSPIRIT]

In order to be able to offer you a further improved service and a better structured website, we are soon re-launching our website.

As this goes hand in hand with switching to a new website-system, we want to kindly ask our customers to check for safety copies (on safe media such as CD-R, etc.) of the download versions they bought from us until the 18th of September 2003. If no safety copies exist, these should be created now and - if required - we´ll reactivate expired downloads to support this (also see end of the message).

After the 18th of September 2003 these files will no longer be available - also not on request.

The only exception to this are purchases of the respectively latest versions of our products (e.g. fxPAINT 2.0, fxSCAN 4.0, VHI Studio 6.0, IBrowse 2.3, ..). For purchases of older versions as online-versions (e.g. fxSCAN 3.0, fxPAINT 1.5, VHI Studio 5.x, ..), we strongly recommend to make safety-copies until this date, since we won´t be able to grant access to these files after this 18th of September 2003.

If another unlocking of downloads should be required, please write an email to "unlockdownloads AT iospirit DOT de".

We are already looking forward to soon welcome you to our new website.

[IOSPIRIT]

My God, the strain of a few, <1MB files must be toppling their servers.

Edit by Kees - Personal attack

Besides, for those who are really interested:
1) Downloads are usually far bigger than 1 MB, more like 16 to 26 MB. Even without buying any of our products, by just visiting our website and click on a product, one can figure that.

2) It's not a bandwidth issue (our server is located in one of Europe's technically best equipped data-centers with superb connectivity world-wide), it's a web-technical issue. The release of the affected product versions is years ago. There is no sense in transfering contents by hand from one system to another, spending half a week on that, when there is 1 or 2 people interested max. Yes, time is money, you need money to nurish - even we do :-o

3) By our Terms And Conditions, the user has to take care of backups. Despite of this, we have never denied reactivating downloads for customers who lost their files in a HD crash or by accident. However, 2 to 3 years after the release of those old versions that are affected and more than a 1,5 years since the last query for reactivation, this step is legitimate and logical (also see above). We like our customers and like to support them. If we would not, we would just have switched to the new website without prior notification and let those customers alone in the dark - legally perfectly ok. However, we did not but instead give customers the chance to make sure they have a backup of what they ordered and paid for. And now there's "critisim" because we care for our customers and want them to be satisfied and happy customers - and receive critics for that. Not exactly what you'd expect.

4) Not even one customer has asked for reactivation yet - hours after release of this note on all major Amiga and MorphOS news sites. If this was an issue for any of our customers, wouldn't they have written us an email? (this goes especially to "Mr. Moderator" here).

No offence meant, but I'm sick of the senseless and brainless bitching around against those who do care for the community and do work for their continued existance.

Another half an hour senselessly wasted for which nobody will pay. This community is so much fun these days, it gives you a warm feeling in the heart. Thanks.

Best regards,

Felix Schwarz

[IOSPIRIT]

Hi Lempkee,

hmm i think this is regarding the software patents thingy....or?

No. As can be read above, it's because of the switch to a new website system, nothing to do with software patents (please reread that news item, we have no legal problems of whatever kind, we were (and will again be) taking part in our protest against the introduction of software patents in the EU - more info at swpat.ffii.org).

Best regards,

Felix Schwarz

[IOSPIRIT]

@mikeymike:;

Blimey, check your sense of proportion ..

Dito.

Incidentally, I have a registered copy of IBrowse, purchased (IIRC) before IOSPIRIT was handling that end of things for the people who develop IBrowse. Regardless of that, am I not allowed to criticise anything you do?

This message only affects actual customers of IOSPIRIT. Don't see how you fit in - especially with such comments.

Quote:

    No offence meant, but I'm sick of the senseless and brainless bitching

Well I do take offence. You attack my position as a member of a.org staff for no apparent reason other than I disagree with you, and then you imply that my comment is "senseless" and "brainless bitching". It was neither.

In Germany we have a saying: "Whoever fits the shoe, will take it on.". I did not put a "MikeyMike:" in front of it, so if you think, that lines fit you, it's your problem, not mine.

"Transferring contents by hand" "half a week", well, in the many occasions that I've rolled in new production servers to replace old ones, I've never counted setting up large file transfers as particularly time-consuming, just a case of setting up network connections, start the transfer say over FTP, and go and make some tea, or go to lunch. I don't recall a network transfer lasting more than a day, let alone half a week. The only valid reason I can think of is lack of disk space.

Yeah, right, ESD is about putting up an FTP or transfering a few files. How could I forget my business is so easy. Thanks for pointing that out.

The thing is, you know nothing about how stuff works internally at IOSPIRIT and about its complexity. Your comment makes as much sense to me as "Set up an FTP server, transfer files, that's all you'll need to switch from Xoops to phpNuke or Tiki Wiki. It only takes minutes. If it doesn't work, it must be bandwidth or disk space".

Ok, so my initial post could have been worded a little nicer, but downright offensive it was not. If you would like to continue this discussion, please do so over email or pmail. If you feel the need to threaten my position as an a.org staff member, please feel free and email another member of staff.

Nobody is threatening you.

I would appreciate an apology for the totally unnecessary personal attack.

Thanks. That was the laughter of the day :-P

Anyway, enough time wasted. Believe whatever you want to believe, read what's not there, complain about issues that don't exist, do whatever you think you want to do, have a nice day, but please spare me with your comments in the future. Last posting from my side.

Best regards,

Felix Schwarz

[IOSPIRIT]

I don't see anything in mikeymike's post that was "pure flaming", as you say. To me, it looks like he was merely making a statement that the web server is slow to respond. Granted, he got the size of the files wrong, but that is no reason for your pure flaming comment. You may see it differently, and that is your right. However, let's end this discussion here, and you two can please settle your differences in private Email. Thank you!

The webserver has a 100 MBit connection to a redundant multi-GBit backbone with excellent connectivity world-wide (level3.com provides lines e.g. to US if you're interested), many of the biggest German sites run in it (including Germany's biggest online-broker Consors), I don't see how it should be slow in any respect. But it's not that, it's the way he made the comment: it does not base on any facts, he is not affected in any way, yet he feels he needs to flame?

I think you went way overboard with your attack on MikeyMike.

I admit that I might have reacted strongly in the first place, but then, this is my good right if I'm attacked - and attacked without any reason and in such a way. As said, I have no problem with critisism, especially constructive critisism (in fact, I welcome it because it helps to improve stuff that is not perfect yet , but his posting is neither constructive nor critisism, it is pure flaming.

Anyway, seeing these reactions by the - as I knew them 'till now - always supportive and wisely acting as far as I could tell - amiga.org moderators, I'll certainly reevaluate my future support for the site and where to spend marketing dollars in the future (if any).

Definately last message on this thread.

Best regards,

Felix Schwarz

[IOSPIRIT]

@ Kees:

I'm sorry that you see it the way that I think I have more privileges (which I've not, I am a human being like anybody else and the history of my life very much underlines the fact that this (I am a human being like anybody else) is one of the most meaningful credos in my life). This indeed does hurt on a very personal level. I don't know why you think I think so, but if it's your opinion, I respect it. Please also respect my opinions and decisions.

Thanks and farewell.

Best regards,

Felix Schwarz