Ghenis.pasa@XEROX.ARPA (08/28/85)
> >Why do sysops not insist on source code only? Why would a user/donor only >want to upload a .COM or .OBJ file? Sysops then have problems with >copyright infringements as well as the deadly Arf! > Because: 1) The donor may wish to be the 'clearinghouse' for his/her program instead of having a hundred modified versions floating around. 2)Donated software may be a preliminary version of a future commercial product. This is a convenient way to get a program tested and obtain feedback, so everybody wins. Of course this doesn't mean the author has to give away the whole show (source code).
T.MOORE%MIT-EECS@MIT-MC.ARPA (Andrew Moore) (08/28/85)
Flame on ME? I merely suggested that keeping backups would help in a Tro- jan Horse situation -- I -certainly- didn't mean to say that anyone who doesn't keep backups "gets what they deserve". I emphasise keeping backups only be- cause it's a (more or less) "foolproof" way to be sure you don't lose your files. I've lost my HD driectories numerous times by just trying to install ZCPR3 and modifying the CCP, etc. Backups, even though it takes up a lot of time on a HD and can get costly, are still my most common ways to prevent files, be it a Trojan Horse or careless mistakes when modifying the CCP. Sorry if I gave you the impression that people who don't keep backups get what they deserve. -drew T.MOORE%MIT-EECS@MIT-MC.ARPA -------