rights vs preservation

[Sig999]

kamiga wrote:

In general, my beef is with these companies and authors whose livelihoods we supported for a long time.  And sure, maybe some didn't become as rich as others, but I'd say most creators with a solid product and decent business plan made money.  And so the community PAID for that software to be produced.  Sure, we paid after the fact.  And sure the company assumed the risk by fronting the money --- but they were rewarded for doing so.  So when there is no more money to be made, isn't it time to give that software back to the people who paid for it to be produced??

Although I think that is sucks when something drops off the map and it's no longer supported - I don't agree with your premise.

We didn't pay to have the software produced. We paid for a piece of software that did something we wanted.  So the whole concept of 'getting what's owed us' falls down, because nothing is really owed us at all after the fact.

There is no 'retroactively produced something for us' - I work in an industry where I produce things for other people - they come to me and tell me what I am to make for them, and I do it, then I get paid and they walk away with the product, they own it, and they can do with it as they will. It is a work for hire, and it's an agreement made before the fact - never afterwards.

It sucks when someone takes their ball and goes home - but at the end of the day they own the ball and can do with it as they please - even if that means doing nothing with it. I can't steal their ball to continue the game with my mates, no matter how much I want to play it.

[Sig999]

Amithony wrote:
I guess that means they shouldn't worry too much if the software gets distributed over the internet for FREE. If they are no longer interested, they shouldn't care what happens to the source should they?

I guess I mean what I wrote - as for what anyone who wrote and then stopped developing software, I couldn't speak for them now could I?

That's their call to make, and theirs alone. Some folks turn things over to the public domain, others declare it 'abandonware' and let folks copy it to their hearts content.

Others don't - and are quite within their rights to have takedowns issued and whatever else floats their boat. They own the rights - for good, for ill, to do with as they see fit - and no matter how you write it up, that's the alpha to the omega of it.

In the end everyone will do what they want anyway, and that's the way of the world, and to make themselves feel better they'll come up with justifications for their actions.

*shrug*

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The average joe might copy and swap and do whatever.

What the smart joe would do is write their own version to fill the niche.

Then of course theres the other route of trying to ask the holders of the rights if they mind... a few people do that.

[Sig999]

kamiga wrote:

Do you think abandoning a piece of work, or specifically denying others rights to distribute it, does justice to the original effort put into creating it?  Assuming the profit potential is gone, as a creator, wouldn't you want to see more people using, enjoying, appreciating your creation?  Doesn't that add respect(to you, to your creation) and make your past effort seem more worthwhile?

I think it has absolutely nothing to do with it. If it's their  work, and they choose to abandon it and keep the rights - they  can if they choose. It has nothing to do with what *I* think or want. What 'justice' is done to *their* original effort is left up to them - they have numerous choices, but they are theirs to make, irrespective of what decisions you, me, or anyone else wants or thinks is right.

As for the example - well, that's what you'd do... that's your right and your decision. But just because that's what you'd do, or what I'd do, doesn't mean that everyone else has to follow the direction of our compass.

A *real* example would be me telling you what you should do with your creation because it's what *I* want you to do... I have a feeling you'd tell me to sod off - and rightfully so!

Which leaves only one REAL decision, and it's not if what they are doing is wrong or right (because whatever they choose - it's right, for whatever reasons), it's whether others will respect their rights and their decisions.