CompuServe Messages

Just to shed a little light on this subject, since Mr. Schowalter has point blank accused Ken Pletzer of stealing the SKY "code" for the C-Net Amiga BBS system, I logged off here and called Ken on the phone and put the question to him about 5 minutes ago. Ken informs me (and I have known Ken a long time) that the ONLY information he had at his disposal was a short text file describing the Skyline commands and what each one was supposed to do. Using that information, he created HIS OWN ORIGINAL CODE to implement a version of that subsystem for the C-Net Amiga BBS. It was an extremely simple modification, taking less than 2 pages of C source code to implement. I asked Ken further if the author had contacted him to ask that he not do this, and Ken said that yes, Michael Cox HAD contacted him, and Ken had then attempted to call him back to do him the courtesy of asking permission, although the author himself has described the command structure Ken emulated as "Public Domain". Apparently Ken was not able to get through. Anyway, I am NOT in any way in favor of anyone stealing or taking credit the programming work of another. Thats not what this is about, I think. After talking to Ken, I believe him. Ken would NOT be quick to steal someone elses code since the memory of this happening TO HIM is still all too fresh and painful (in the case of our C-64 software about 2 years ago.) C-Net Amiga is not the only BBS out there these days, but I believe it is one of the better ones, and it is CERTAINLY a genuinely original article.