Speccyman, stop wasting your energy. I am sure most of comunity appreciate what you do, or at least have nothing against it and are neutral. Small amount of people have problems, but it is their problems not of yours.
About refusal of Joe and Timmy, I do not know their software and after their refusal I am not going to know, which I think is shame. It is their decision. They fed their hunger for rights, fairness and justice. Fine. But at the same time it seems to me they sent their hours or weeks of work on their soft to abyss. How self destructive....
Hood
As said I thought everyone agrees that it is a good thing if somebody spreads a freeware software as wide as possible, getting into new dimensions when adapting for several disk drives. I would be very happy if as many people as possible see my program and I would be thankful for everybody spreading it.
But that?s my opinion. Minimum two authors have another opinion and I want care for this. I want make the best possible disk magazine and the best one have to have the best available programs. HEART STEALER for example was elected to be one of the programs and I will do my best to convince TIMMY to finally allow the distribution.
Also Buzzsaw seems to be a very good game and when it is finished and not released commercially, we are definately interested to publish it. However, of course I am happy for every author who give me general permission for every program he wrote or will write. Because as everybody know I have a lot of work and even with this discussion I lost more time than I should. But at the end I want that we all work together on a good spectrum-scene, with good programs and good disk-magazines.
Alright then?
Timmy: Drop me a line how I can contact you. I can even call you.
But at the same time it seems to me they sent their hours or weeks of work on their soft to abyss.
Why? Because a few people with real machines and disk systems won't get to use it? It's still available from other places for the vast majority of users who use emulators or are happy to use real tapes.
What do to if I fail to contact the author? Is publication on WOS enough?
No. Publication on WoS doesn't guarantee anything. In the best case it means permission has been given to distribute the software on WoS and nowhere else. In the worst case it means no permission has been given and Martijn hasn't been told to take down the illegally distributed content yet.
Also Buzzsaw seems to be a very good game and when it is finished and not released commercially, we are definately interested to publish it. However, of course I am happy for every author who give me general permission for every program he wrote or will write. Because as everybody know I have a lot of work and even with this discussion I lost more time than I should. But at the end I want that we all work together on a good spectrum-scene, with good programs and good disk-magazines.
You can probably get hold of most authors (of recent software at least) by asking on WoS, if they aren't here then there is probably someone who'll know how to contact them. If nobody knows and you decide to go ahead (as WoS does in many cases), then at least it shows some attempt to try and respect authors wishes, which I think is all most people are really asking for.
For what it's worth, you're welcome to copy any of my code and hack it into your disk magazine as needed. Although it's mostly for the CPC or not really worth it, so you probably won't. I'm not even sure any of the Speccy stuff I ever did still exists anyway.
Everybody can have his own opinion here and I have my own too.
And I'd like to say that I support your work of releasing Spectrum disk collections :)
People who create Spectrum programs in 21st century don't do it for money. They do it for:
1) pleasure of coding
2) fame
3) altruistic reasons, making others (players) happy
If you release somebody's work, you don't steal anything from point 1 and only add value to point 2 and 3.
I can understand however that some people may have mixed feeling when you take their game without formal asking. But I still prefer easy-going attitude to "don't touch anything unless you are allowed" one.
As of me, I hereby give you my permission to include my software in your compilations, if you would like to :)
Regarding denying one of the games from the list, I should say that for me it looks simply uncool, because the author freely took a lot of other's work (which itself is free to distribute even if money involved) to create his game.
And generally, it is simply illogical to deny distribution for a few certain people, who at least trying to get the permission (maybe not the way and the words you wanted), while a lot of other people will redistribute the game without asking (or even thinking of) permission anyway, modified, hacked, etc - guaranteed, and you with all your knowledge of laws can't do anything with it, guaranteed too. Not to mention it is illogical to refuse to get some more of the only profit you can get from a freeware game.
Most games are made by Jonathan Cauldwell and I did ask him.
I think I gave you an "in principle" nod at the CGE a few years ago, but you just need to check the status of individual programs as and when you want to use them. I can't know the future copyright status of every game I'll ever release on my site several years in advance, especially when that status is subject to change from time to time. For what it's worth, I have no objection to you redistributing the games you listed with issue 65, and barring any objections from the other contributors who worked on those games there shouldn't be any copyright issues. :)
The only problem I can see is with Egghead Plus. It isn't a finished game at all, it's just an unfinished demo like the Slubberdegullion preview that's also on my site. There's no objective other than to collect keys, and I don't think anything happens when they have been collected. Worse, the program was designed exclusively for ULA+, so attempting to use it on hardware with an unmodified ULA will render the program ugly at best, and unplayable at worst. You'll probably find disgusting colour combinations, invisible enemies and flashing blocks all over the place. Are you sure your readers want to play that? :S
I think I gave you an "in principle" nod at the CGE a few years ago, but you just need to check the status of individual programs as and when you want to use them. I can't know the future copyright status of every game I'll ever release on my site several years in advance, especially when that status is subject to change from time to time. For what it's worth, I have no objection to you redistributing the games you listed with issue 65, and barring any objections from the other contributors who worked on those games there shouldn't be any copyright issues. :)
The only problem I can see is with Egghead Plus. It isn't a finished game at all, it's just an unfinished demo like the Slubberdegullion preview that's also on my site. There's no objective other than to collect keys, and I don't think anything happens when they have been collected. Worse, the program was designed exclusively for ULA+, so attempting to use it on hardware with an unmodified ULA will render the program ugly at best, and unplayable at worst. You'll probably find disgusting colour combinations, invisible enemies and flashing blocks all over the place. Are you sure your readers want to play that? :S
I tested Egghead Plus. It is playable, just a good sound is missing. However, we always write a review to every game we publish. And in our review we state clearly that this version is for the ULA Plus. We also don?t know the future, but I have been in talk with Andrew Owen and he think it might be possible that another new ULA hit the market. Even my company SINTECH is interested in to produce it. So when this new ULA hit the streets, our readers already have a first programm to test it.
Anyway, it doesn?t need much space, but I like the idea. That?s why we choosed it.
Think a ton of this could be avoided if you simply contact the original programmer and ask them.
If i wrote a game and let WOS host it, i would be annoyed if i saw it on some monthly disk thing. If they contacted me first i would probably be flattered and say yes, but i would be annoyed if they didnt ask and just used it.
A lot of games at WOS have permission granted to be held at WOS, not 10000 sites all over the web.
As for the programmers, most of them who have written games from the year 2000+ are here, Bob Smith, Jonathan, CEZ, Mojon Twins, Binman and others. A quick search will often show you their thread announcing their game. A PM or email to ask them would then get you the answer.
I don?t want tell something what I will regret later, but I am in deep disappointment and I can currently not continue my work on the magazine.
I can understand that you're feeling disheartened by what's gone on here lately, but I don't think the fact that a small number of people are offended by what you're doing should make you stop. For what it's worth, I think your expectations about what can be done with freely available Spectrum software are entirely reasonable.
SkoolKit - disassemble a game today Pyskool - a remake of Skool Daze and Back to Skool
Think a ton of this could be avoided if you simply contact the original programmer and ask them.
If i wrote a game and let WOS host it, i would be annoyed if i saw it on some monthly disk thing. If they contacted me first i would probably be flattered and say yes, but i would be annoyed if they didnt ask and just used it.
A lot of games at WOS have permission granted to be held at WOS, not 10000 sites all over the web.
As for the programmers, most of them who have written games from the year 2000+ are here, Bob Smith, Jonathan, CEZ, Mojon Twins, Binman and others. A quick search will often show you their thread announcing their game. A PM or email to ask them would then get you the answer.
Yes, we are already over that point. I already promised to do so.
I just wanted to inform you that you do not have my permission.
Kind regards,
Timmy.
PS. I appreciate if someone would have informed me of this kind of thread. It's hard for me to keep up with every thread on the forum. Thanks in advance.
@Speccyman: I give you the permission to publish all my non-comercial future and past games on Scene+ (None of my games are currently on the list, but this does not matter). My games have no protection and I do not plan to use any in the next releases (Currently correcting and improving one of the source codes that was actually lost some years ago. Stay tuned).
Anyway, after this: http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/showpost.php?p=464563&postcount=223
I should maybe rethink my strategy to not making any restrictments in licences as I do not need to be offended.
Btw: Is it possible to put a WOS user on a private ignore list?
@Speccyman: I give you the permission to publish all my non-comercial future and past games on Scene+ (None of my games are currently on the list, but this does not matter). My games have no protection and I do not plan to use any in the next releases (Currently correcting and improving one of the source codes that was actually lost some years ago. Stay tuned).
Anyway, after this: http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/showpost.php?p=464563&postcount=223
I should maybe rethink my strategy to not making any restrictments in licences as I do not need to be offended.
Btw: Is it possible to put a WOS user on a private ignore list?
Thanks LCD and thanks for all the people who wrote me private messages. I complete understand that you don?t want be involved in this discussion.
I am writing now to all authors of programs that are planned to distribute on SCENE+ disk magazine. Although there are so many authors and I will have to make a list of who gave an overall allowance, who want a short notice and who want be completely informed about any change, even when it is the loader. This started now to be a lot of work, but I do it for the freedom of the Speccy world.
A good point: Since in this discussion my signature was printed so often, I received a lot more orders on Retro-software. Thanks, but all customers from UK should maybe directly order in our UK-shop www.sintech-shop.co.uk.
Thanks
A message to KARINGAL: it can happen that sometimes we write things that we never wanted to write. I really think that your answers to LCD were a bit rude and as I do a lot for the freedom of the Spectrum - World, maybe you can apologize here for being rude?
A message to KARINGAL: it can happen that sometimes we write things that we never wanted to write. I really think that your answers to LCD were a bit rude and as I do a lot for the freedom of the Spectrum - World, maybe you can apologize here for being rude?
Regards
Thomas
Just a bit rude??? He is offending and does not support his "claims" that I post utter shite in any post, with a single argument.
Btw: Thanks for all the PMs how to ignore users.
I will give (name of user to be ignored from tomorrow) a chance to apologize. After he is on my ignore list, it will be too late for apologies.
This is just the problem of written words compared to spoken words.
A spoken word dissappears in the air and is often fast overwritten in the brain of the partner. A written word in the internet is often present for a (too) long time because the internet has an infinite long lasting memory.
And maybe THAT was a special advantage of the old Spectrum technology. No memory content remained after switching off the power. Some times it is good to forget what was unneccessary...
In this spirit I wish ALL of us a lucky "friday the 13th" :smile:
This is just the problem of written words compared to spoken words.
A spoken word dissappears in the air and is often fast overwritten in the brain of the partner. A written word in the internet is often present for a (too) long time because the internet has an infinite long lasting memory.
And maybe THAT was a special advantage of the old Spectrum technology. No memory content remained after switching off the power. Some times it is good to forget what was unneccessary...
In this spirit I wish ALL of us a lucky "friday the 13th" :smile:
Ingo.
You are completly right, ingo. That IS a big problem. In some boards (like 4chan) there is no chance to review a message after some time, because it is thrown out after few hours (I'm glad about this because on 4chan are many racist, nazi, KKK, whitepower and other scum around). But WOS does not do that, allowing to review posts which are ten years old or even older. This is good in most cases.
Friday the 13th? Well, where is my Hockey mask and knife? ;)
You go go go Speccyman! There are very few doers and there are many more moaners, I remember SCENE+ from way back and it was always a source of new material for us old timer PD libraries. Ignore the red tapers they need to take themselves a little less seriously.
it is but you still see replies from other people so it's not much use.
I think, this is not possible to hide them without making extremly complex scripts that hide also messages which quote from this user.
Anyway, I decided not to be that childish and forgive Karingal his offending message this time, in respect for his 12k+ messages, he already did (just to clear it: the amount of messages does not entitle anyone to offend other users).
You go go go Speccyman! There are very few doers and there are many more moaners, I remember SCENE+ from way back and it was always a source of new material for us old timer PD libraries. Ignore the red tapers they need to take themselves a little less seriously.
Yes, Dave, I remember the good times as I contacted for example Erich Auterith to ask him for permission to put his game (which he released on Crash Powertape) on Scene+... I remember you, Paul Howard and many other... Found some of your old letters again, from the pre-eMail-Age...
I remember also a magazine called ZX-Files which had a covertape, and I wonder if the maker of ZX-Files ever asked authors for permission to put their works on it.
Yes, Dave, I remember the good times as I contacted for example Erich Auterith to ask him for permission to put his game (which he released on Crash Powertape) on Scene+... I remember you, Paul Howard and many other... Found some of your old letters again, from the pre-eMail-Age...
I remember also a magazine called ZX-Files which had a covertape, and I wonder if the maker of ZX-Files ever asked authors for permission to put their works on it.
Although I am now asking for allowance for all programs I am still with those people in mind who think that it is not the idea of freeware. A programmer of freeware should be happy for any disk-magazine that decide to put their works on their magazine. The aim of such programmers is mainly to reach as many people as possible who happily play their game.
But as I could see in the discussion, my opinion is not the opinion of everybody. And I give all my respect to the makers of those wonderful games and demos and utilities. So now I got many messages from authors these days. Some give us allowance to spread all their works in past and future and told me that it is bullshit idea every time to ask for allowance. I have to say that these type of authors are very much on the line I am thinking. There are others who gave just allowance for all older works, but not for future. I understand this as well, although I am sure there will be never again a commercial age for Spectrum. Only one author so far have given me allowance just for every game I ask for. What means I have to ask for every single game of him. Quite ok, I can live with that as well.
What makes me happy is that most authors are still very happy if I want put their works onto disk magazine. Also very good is that I am now in contact to many authors of Spectrum programs and we can finally speak about what really interested me from the start: easy convertable basic loaders.
Thomas, by the way, is there any site where I can see the content of all the Issues?
I now live in Germany and I brought my +2A, so I may get some if I see something interesting.
Thomas, by the way, is there any site where I can see the content of all the Issues?
I now live in Germany and I brought my +2A, so I may get some if I see something interesting.
Cheers!
There is not a online list. You might contact Mirko, I think he got a list himself.
There will be soon a new site for the magazine, but up to now it is:
Comments
As said I thought everyone agrees that it is a good thing if somebody spreads a freeware software as wide as possible, getting into new dimensions when adapting for several disk drives. I would be very happy if as many people as possible see my program and I would be thankful for everybody spreading it.
But that?s my opinion. Minimum two authors have another opinion and I want care for this. I want make the best possible disk magazine and the best one have to have the best available programs. HEART STEALER for example was elected to be one of the programs and I will do my best to convince TIMMY to finally allow the distribution.
Also Buzzsaw seems to be a very good game and when it is finished and not released commercially, we are definately interested to publish it. However, of course I am happy for every author who give me general permission for every program he wrote or will write. Because as everybody know I have a lot of work and even with this discussion I lost more time than I should. But at the end I want that we all work together on a good spectrum-scene, with good programs and good disk-magazines.
Alright then?
Timmy: Drop me a line how I can contact you. I can even call you.
Regards
Thomas
Why? Because a few people with real machines and disk systems won't get to use it? It's still available from other places for the vast majority of users who use emulators or are happy to use real tapes.
No. Publication on WoS doesn't guarantee anything. In the best case it means permission has been given to distribute the software on WoS and nowhere else. In the worst case it means no permission has been given and Martijn hasn't been told to take down the illegally distributed content yet.
You can probably get hold of most authors (of recent software at least) by asking on WoS, if they aren't here then there is probably someone who'll know how to contact them. If nobody knows and you decide to go ahead (as WoS does in many cases), then at least it shows some attempt to try and respect authors wishes, which I think is all most people are really asking for.
For what it's worth, you're welcome to copy any of my code and hack it into your disk magazine as needed. Although it's mostly for the CPC or not really worth it, so you probably won't. I'm not even sure any of the Speccy stuff I ever did still exists anyway.
Everybody can have his own opinion here and I have my own too.
And I'd like to say that I support your work of releasing Spectrum disk collections :)
People who create Spectrum programs in 21st century don't do it for money. They do it for:
1) pleasure of coding
2) fame
3) altruistic reasons, making others (players) happy
If you release somebody's work, you don't steal anything from point 1 and only add value to point 2 and 3.
I can understand however that some people may have mixed feeling when you take their game without formal asking. But I still prefer easy-going attitude to "don't touch anything unless you are allowed" one.
As of me, I hereby give you my permission to include my software in your compilations, if you would like to :)
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekadv.cgi?what=2®exp=rafal+miazga&yrorder=1&year=0&type=0&players=0&memory=0&language=0&country=0&licence=0&feature=0&publi=0&release=0&format=0&scheme=0&scorder=1&score=0&have=1&also=1&sort=1&display=1&loadpics=0
Great. Thanks a lot. Got stuck in the skyscrapers of doom, but still a great game. I will have a look at the others.
And generally, it is simply illogical to deny distribution for a few certain people, who at least trying to get the permission (maybe not the way and the words you wanted), while a lot of other people will redistribute the game without asking (or even thinking of) permission anyway, modified, hacked, etc - guaranteed, and you with all your knowledge of laws can't do anything with it, guaranteed too. Not to mention it is illogical to refuse to get some more of the only profit you can get from a freeware game.
I think I gave you an "in principle" nod at the CGE a few years ago, but you just need to check the status of individual programs as and when you want to use them. I can't know the future copyright status of every game I'll ever release on my site several years in advance, especially when that status is subject to change from time to time. For what it's worth, I have no objection to you redistributing the games you listed with issue 65, and barring any objections from the other contributors who worked on those games there shouldn't be any copyright issues. :)
The only problem I can see is with Egghead Plus. It isn't a finished game at all, it's just an unfinished demo like the Slubberdegullion preview that's also on my site. There's no objective other than to collect keys, and I don't think anything happens when they have been collected. Worse, the program was designed exclusively for ULA+, so attempting to use it on hardware with an unmodified ULA will render the program ugly at best, and unplayable at worst. You'll probably find disgusting colour combinations, invisible enemies and flashing blocks all over the place. Are you sure your readers want to play that? :S
Egghead Website
Arcade Game Designer
My itch.io page
I tested Egghead Plus. It is playable, just a good sound is missing. However, we always write a review to every game we publish. And in our review we state clearly that this version is for the ULA Plus. We also don?t know the future, but I have been in talk with Andrew Owen and he think it might be possible that another new ULA hit the market. Even my company SINTECH is interested in to produce it. So when this new ULA hit the streets, our readers already have a first programm to test it.
Anyway, it doesn?t need much space, but I like the idea. That?s why we choosed it.
If i wrote a game and let WOS host it, i would be annoyed if i saw it on some monthly disk thing. If they contacted me first i would probably be flattered and say yes, but i would be annoyed if they didnt ask and just used it.
A lot of games at WOS have permission granted to be held at WOS, not 10000 sites all over the web.
As for the programmers, most of them who have written games from the year 2000+ are here, Bob Smith, Jonathan, CEZ, Mojon Twins, Binman and others. A quick search will often show you their thread announcing their game. A PM or email to ask them would then get you the answer.
Pyskool - a remake of Skool Daze and Back to Skool
Yes, we are already over that point. I already promised to do so.
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/showpost.php?p=444114&postcount=43
@Speccyman: I give you the permission to publish all my non-comercial future and past games on Scene+ (None of my games are currently on the list, but this does not matter). My games have no protection and I do not plan to use any in the next releases (Currently correcting and improving one of the source codes that was actually lost some years ago. Stay tuned).
Anyway, after this:
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/showpost.php?p=464563&postcount=223
I should maybe rethink my strategy to not making any restrictments in licences as I do not need to be offended.
Btw: Is it possible to put a WOS user on a private ignore list?
it is but you still see replies from other people so it's not much use.
where is the ignore button? didn't it used to be on the post's? (not that i ever used it)
Thanks LCD and thanks for all the people who wrote me private messages. I complete understand that you don?t want be involved in this discussion.
I am writing now to all authors of programs that are planned to distribute on SCENE+ disk magazine. Although there are so many authors and I will have to make a list of who gave an overall allowance, who want a short notice and who want be completely informed about any change, even when it is the loader. This started now to be a lot of work, but I do it for the freedom of the Speccy world.
A good point: Since in this discussion my signature was printed so often, I received a lot more orders on Retro-software. Thanks, but all customers from UK should maybe directly order in our UK-shop www.sintech-shop.co.uk.
Thanks
A message to KARINGAL: it can happen that sometimes we write things that we never wanted to write. I really think that your answers to LCD were a bit rude and as I do a lot for the freedom of the Spectrum - World, maybe you can apologize here for being rude?
Regards
Thomas
Btw: Thanks for all the PMs how to ignore users.
I will give (name of user to be ignored from tomorrow) a chance to apologize. After he is on my ignore list, it will be too late for apologies.
A spoken word dissappears in the air and is often fast overwritten in the brain of the partner. A written word in the internet is often present for a (too) long time because the internet has an infinite long lasting memory.
And maybe THAT was a special advantage of the old Spectrum technology. No memory content remained after switching off the power. Some times it is good to forget what was unneccessary...
In this spirit I wish ALL of us a lucky "friday the 13th" :smile:
Ingo.
You are completly right, ingo. That IS a big problem. In some boards (like 4chan) there is no chance to review a message after some time, because it is thrown out after few hours (I'm glad about this because on 4chan are many racist, nazi, KKK, whitepower and other scum around). But WOS does not do that, allowing to review posts which are ten years old or even older. This is good in most cases.
Friday the 13th? Well, where is my Hockey mask and knife? ;)
Except for the threads which just "disappear" like one I noticed a few hours ago, now missing.
Spooky that, eh?
I think, this is not possible to hide them without making extremly complex scripts that hide also messages which quote from this user.
Anyway, I decided not to be that childish and forgive Karingal his offending message this time, in respect for his 12k+ messages, he already did (just to clear it: the amount of messages does not entitle anyone to offend other users).
Yes, Dave, I remember the good times as I contacted for example Erich Auterith to ask him for permission to put his game (which he released on Crash Powertape) on Scene+... I remember you, Paul Howard and many other... Found some of your old letters again, from the pre-eMail-Age...
I remember also a magazine called ZX-Files which had a covertape, and I wonder if the maker of ZX-Files ever asked authors for permission to put their works on it.
Although I am now asking for allowance for all programs I am still with those people in mind who think that it is not the idea of freeware. A programmer of freeware should be happy for any disk-magazine that decide to put their works on their magazine. The aim of such programmers is mainly to reach as many people as possible who happily play their game.
But as I could see in the discussion, my opinion is not the opinion of everybody. And I give all my respect to the makers of those wonderful games and demos and utilities. So now I got many messages from authors these days. Some give us allowance to spread all their works in past and future and told me that it is bullshit idea every time to ask for allowance. I have to say that these type of authors are very much on the line I am thinking. There are others who gave just allowance for all older works, but not for future. I understand this as well, although I am sure there will be never again a commercial age for Spectrum. Only one author so far have given me allowance just for every game I ask for. What means I have to ask for every single game of him. Quite ok, I can live with that as well.
What makes me happy is that most authors are still very happy if I want put their works onto disk magazine. Also very good is that I am now in contact to many authors of Spectrum programs and we can finally speak about what really interested me from the start: easy convertable basic loaders.
So I finally got what I wanted.
I now live in Germany and I brought my +2A, so I may get some if I see something interesting.
Cheers!
There is not a online list. You might contact Mirko, I think he got a list himself.
There will be soon a new site for the magazine, but up to now it is:
http://www.speccy-scene.de/
There you can contact Mirko. I don?t want put e-mail adresses in this forum...Spam-robots are everywhere.
Regards
Thomas
Really a pity. We erase HEART STEALER and put there HERITAGE by Rafal Miazga who gave us general allowance.
Great.
Regards
Thomas
cheers dude, feeling a little better now