CompuServe Thread

Serge Judging by the sprit in which these toys were created and your unique personality I can't imagine why you'd even read the first line of a negative letter on any related topic! The joy and spirit of exploration both in using your free toy's (key factory also) and wondering at their designer gives a new dimension to Ammedia forum which was already rich in talent…..FUN! Thanks!

Serge, I don't want to get in the middle of any debate between developers here, but I did want to say that I bought and enjoy Key Factory (and am anxiously awaiting my "upgrade") and have downloaded all the "toys" you've posted here. While I'm not sure I'll find uses for them all, there are certainly some that are quite fun and it was definitely a treat to get them. In other words, this is a definite "thanks" for your work. In the words of RK, "Why can't we all just get along?" (And, "Beats the hell out of me!" :>)

Firstly I'd like to say that you shouldn't have uploaded the "private" e-mail message from someone else without asking their permission to do so. E-mail is private and should remain that way unless both parties agree that it should be made public. <<I do not want any "special" treatment (relative to Richard Black debate). I have only said that nobody can put all of my 'Free Toys' on a CD-ROM and make money with this work.>> This is inevitable when you offer "free" products. Someone else is going to someday, somewhere, profit from it. If you uploaded the IPAS routines as "free" products that demonstrate your IPAS programming then you should be happy that others want to sell them, it is free advertisting and exposure for you. People recognize your IPAS routines as being good(can't say I've tried them personally) then are more confident in purchasing your commercial products. <<If you consider that do not allowing somebody to use copyrighted material equivalent to commercial package without paying some royalties is to be dumb, I am dumb !>> It's going to happen if you don't want it to. Since uploading them here on Compuserve, god knows how many people have downloaded it and directly or indirectly are using it for commercial gain. Gee, I'm starting to repeat the "Studio City 2000" copyright debate <G>. BTW I spoke with you briefly at SIGGRAPH, though I spent more time talking to your charming wife. <g> DaviD "programming without ego" GouID

Hi, Serge! >>I have only said that nobody can put all of my 'Free Toys' on a CD-ROM and make >>money with this work. 1. First, my apologies: I jumped in not knowing anything about CD-ROM or anything else. My mistake. I just read a spagetti of negative answers and got an impression that you are obsessed with the number of downloads, so I decided to put some humor on this situation. >> If you consider that do not allowing somebody to >>use copyrighted material equivalent to commercial package without paying some >>royalties is to be dumb, I am dumb ! 2. Second, I do have negative comments on your Free uploads, so if you are not interested you can skip to the end of the message, where I bring my apologies again. 3. Now, negatives: I, personally, don't have a problem with you uploading Free IPASes – I remember TEX – and I understand Knuth, I admired FractInt and its creators, but I also like Dostoevsky. This very smart writer said once: " All the happiness of all mankind does not worth a single tear of a baby" – he meant, that no matter how good for everybody your activity is – it does not worth it if it HURTS even one person. I downloaded only one your IPAS: PMATH – it suspiciously reminded me about another one I saw 3 months ago – MESHER. Mesher was programmed by some French guy, I don't remember his name, but definitely it was intended for sale and , perhaps, ot had to repay for compiler, money invested and time taken away from the family and friends. You KILLED all that. Back in Russia, what you did (selling below real COST) would be called "DUMPING" and in some civilized contries it is prohibited (I don't know about States). DUMPING means UNFAIR COMPETITION, it means you did invest something, but you sell below it, as dumb as it is. It does not proves that you are more effective programmer (because I can't compare your COST to the french guy cost), it just DRIVES HIM AWAY from 3DS development. Imagine, you will continue posting IPASes for free – in very short time you can drive away everybody. And the same people, who praised you, when they realize, that all smart developers ARE GONE and that all new plug-in IDEAS are now somewhere in SoftImage, Alias, LightWave or whatever; the very same people will damn you… All that is hypotetical and pessimistic, because there are IPASes you can not reproduce that easily, so you will not be able to afford selling them for free. More, as long as you post TOYS, I am 100% with you, and the only complain I have right now is PMATH !!! But, please, remember: "all happiness" < "one tear". You are not dumb, so you should understand. Again, my apologies, I didn't understand your motives, Alex, Video International