Re: [mv] WinEdit: salutory Windows tale

[Birgitt Funk <birgitt@booktraders.com>]

******    message to minivend-users from Birgitt Funk <birgitt@booktraders.com>     ******


> ******    message to minivend-users from jojo@buchonline.net     ******
>
> On 26 Jun, Steve Fairhead wrote:
> > ******    message to minivend-users from "Steve Fairhead"
> <steve@sfdesign.co.uk>     ******
> >

[del]

> >
> > I found this buried deep in the legalese section of the WinEdit
> > readme.txt:
> >
> >>> This SOFTWARE PRODUCT is "advertiser supported software," meaning that
> > some or all of the costs associated with the development and
> > distribution of this SOFTWARE PRODUCT is recuperated through the use
> > of advertisements  displayed in the software product.  These
> > advertisements are delivered via the Internet and will be downloaded
> > from the servers of Aureate Media or their subcontractors, partners,
> > or other authorized parties.  By using this software, you agree that
> > you understand that this software will connect to the Internet
> > UBIQUITOUSLY to download advertisement and/or to provide
> > software updates.  You also accept responsibility for any network usage
> > costs or any other costs incurred by using this software. <<
> >
> > "Ubiquitously", huh? And precisely what data flows _to_ Aureate, I
> > wonder? (Some of the registry sections had intriguing names, and the
> > Aureate website is, erm, interesting. See developers FAQ.)
> >
> > You might want to consider whether or not to allow such software
> > anywhere near your system. I didn't enjoy it much, and only got to
> > play with WinEdit (which seemed fine) for about 3 minutes. All a bit 
> > scary, really. It was just like a worm.
> > Steve
> >
> > PS: I'm with Mike. Windows sucks. I'm suddenly even more determined to
> > become an MS-free zone.
> >
> > ------------------------------------------
> > Steve Fairhead - SFD - Solutions by Design
> >    www: http://www.sfdesign.co.uk
> > ------------------------------------------
>
> WOW!
> My WinEdit is older than this new Version and has no these
> advertisements (Shareware). I will stay with my old WinEdit Version or I
> will looking for another good non-mouse-clicking-Editor.
>
> Steve, thanks for the hint!
>
> Joachim

Thanks, Steve, for posting your tale. It somewhat plays into my
thinking about code on the web being dangerous. I haven't found
any other reason to opt for open code exclusively other than
making it possible for someone to understand what the code does
on your system. 

In the case you are describing you could find some understanding
by reading the deep-down README file. 

The policy to leave the responsability of reading and understanding 
such documents to the user of the software (comparable with giving a user
an opt-out choice) seems to be a good argument of defense for developers
of such software.

But in all sincerety, you can't expect the mass of software
users to read the tons of material necessary. How many professionals
like you even _DO_ know what the bits are doing on their system ?

Even in a case where the source code would be open, how many of you
understand and read every nook and cranny of the source code ?

Here comes my favorite advocay therefore for _documentation_, the
only defense possible to protect yourself from abusive processes
in the software package you are using. If source code is not open
to be checked out by anyone and is not understood, it could
easily be a cause for producing mass hysteria. Nobody can trust
anything anymore reliably.

I am not against copyrights, licenses and even patents for software
as long as the code is open and ownership/profit of the developer and/or
the companies who paid for the development is protected for a reasonable
amount of time. 

I haven't understood until now, if there is a **code-based** solution to
protect open source code's ownership and with it the profit a developer
should be able to make with the software.

It's again a very off-topic question, but to me it's THE question to make
sense of the open source code business model.

As usual I apologize for raising the question here. I search for answers
at other places to this, but couldn't make any sense out of what is 
uttered out there.

Birgitt

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