just saw the worrying Poseidon news

[T_Bone]

My keys do not work since ver.2.0 of Poseidon. See the part of Hodges description about this Poseidon version: 'Although the version number has been bumped to V2.0, it contains mostly bug fixes.' Switching my keys off is a clear violation of my rights as a client.

You are not really a client. Elbox has "at NO time" had an OEM license for Hodges USB software. Never.

In case of such dishonest person as Hodges, OEM license do not solve anything. Hodges could always inform: 'OEM license for Spider has been terminated and the support has been dropped for all the times.'

Why does that make Hodges dishonest? If you remember correctly, the reason Hodges has problems with Elbox, is because they inserted malicious code into their drivers who's purpose was to corrupt users harddrive.

When Hodges learned this, he gave Elbox a choice, either remove the code and APOLOGISE to their customers, or go fish. Elbox REFUSED to apologise, and decided, of their own free will, to go fish. This decision was %100 Elbox.

[T_Bone]

tjaoz wrote:

You could try a subway (clockport?) which is supported by Poseidon

New Elbox drivers (e.g. for Mediator) do not work when you have any USB card from E3B (subway, highway, algor) installed in your computer.

!!!!

Why?

[T_Bone]

JoannaK wrote:
Lemmink: Good thing on Tjaoz is that only thing he cares is Elbox ... So  most of time he's remins dormant.

And you can consider yourself lucky if you have not seen his rants on ann.lu ... those insults (mostly about C. Hodges mental state)  were quite telling.

I've noticed that too, check his posting history here, EVERY post he's made is promoting various Elbox products, or throwing mud at Elbox's enemies.

[T_Bone]

> While I agree that it might not have been the
> wisest move to include the anti-piracy code, now
> they have removed it I don't see why CH got so upset.

Maybe he was upset because it's ILLEGAL? He stated very plainly why he was upset. Elbox required an OEM license, yet they were trying to finagle a non-OEM license for an OEM product, this, on TOP of having an ILLEGAL anti-piracy mecanism built into the driver that's supposed to interface to Chris's stack.

Elbox would today, still be licensed, if they simply apologised for the illegal code. if only everyone who's made mistakes had it THAT easy.

[T_Bone]

"If I was cynical I would say that the anti-piracy code was a convenient excuse for CH, after all he has a number of other possibly (<----note the word possibly) conflicting companies using his software!."

How is that an incentive to block Elbox?
A license is a license. Makes no difference to Chris who the card is licensed to, he gets his fee.

That's like saying someone who owns a gas station might POSSIBLY have an ulterior motive for not selling gas to Ford built cars, even though their only income is from selling gas.

[T_Bone]

tjaoz wrote:
> You did not get the point. I'm a Hodges' client. I bought the
> registration keys directly from him. Hodges is a seller in this
>  case, not matter what he sells.

You still have what you bought from him.

>> Why does that make Hodges dishonest?
>  1. He switched off the keys, for which I paid him.

No, he disabled your key for the versions you DIDNT pay for.
I have a key for photoshop 7, this doesn't mean I'm entitled to Photoshop 8.

> He does not fulfil obligations of the agreement that he made with Elbox.

Chris has a legal and valid reason NOT to, one, no OEM agreement was *ever* made, two, even if one *had* been made, Elbox's illegal action made any agreement incontingent.

Also, let's not forget Chris *did* give Elbox a chance, like I said he made it perfectly clear that they remove all illegal code and apologise, or go fish. Elbox chose to go fish. That was a choice Elbox made. If you disagree with their choice, you should take that up with Elbox.

If Elbox had simply apologised, none of this would have happened.

[T_Bone]

tjaoz wrote:
@T_Bone

!!!!

Why?

OK, once again:

My guess is this is a simple response to the Hodges' move.

Oh, you mean instead of just apologising to the customers, which would have fixed everything. Way to go Elbox.

Stopping Poseidon registration for Spider users promotes other (IMHO obsolete and overpriced) USB  Amiga cards. Hodges agreed with Elbox to be always neutral to users of different hardware USB Amiga solutions.  Hodges move clearly breaks this agreement.

Elbox broke the agreement, when they broke the law. End of story. Elbox don't have a "right" to Poseiden. Poseiden belongs to Chris.

Repeat after me...
"What Elbox did is ILLEGAL"
"What Elbox did is ILLEGAL"
"What Elbox did is ILLEGAL"

You seriously think Chris should be neutral to an ILLEGAL driver?

Now Elbox helps Hodges in restoring balance and regaining neutrality for various Amiga USB solutions.

You mean instead of just apologising, which is all Chris asked them to do.

I'm kind of glad you keep bringing this up. People who might not have known about all this crooked crap learn alot every time you try "defending" them. You are Elbox's worst PR nightmare. You keep this up, and you'll probably have even Elbox begging you to keep quiet, so they arn't embarassed by these threads.

[T_Bone]

> As for the anti-piracy code it was an easy get out clause,
> that enabled CH to cancel the contract.

Chris never *wanted* to cancel the contract. his whole mission was to unite USB support so there wouldn't be 12 standards.

Even when the whole trojan incident happened, Chris *could* have walked away from the contract, but he didn't, he asked them to apologise, which was a VERY easy thing to do for Elbox. Chris didn't even have to do that. Elbox had a way out, a damned easy one at that, and didn't take it.

How much easier could Chris have made it for Elbox? An apology is the LEAST one could have asked.

> Elbox removed the code and things were ok for a while,
> then CH decided out of the blue that he didn't want to
> support Elbox any more.

Out of the blue? No, he gave Elbox a choice, either apologise for the illegal driver that they were caught red handed with, or he'd drop support. Elbox, of their own free will, chose not to do so.

I realise many simply don't care that the drivers were illegal, as they make excellent hardware,  but weather or not you care is beside the point. The drivers were illegal, and Chris didn't even need to give them the choice at all, he would have been fully within his rights to simply drop Elbox support unconditionally at that point.

Elbox could have cleared this whole thing up by simply floating a "We're Sorry" to the mailing list. We're talking about pressing about 10 keys on the keyboard here, not exactly pulling teeth you'd think.