Dale.Moore@PS1.CS.CMU.EDU (07/31/87)
Ever read Mad Magazine? How about that section "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions"? Well this is just like that, only the questions are about CMU-TEK VMS IP/TCP software, and some of the questions aren't so stupid. Q: How do I get the software? A: Like my post said, send mail to CMU-TEK IP/TCP Software Request Computation Center Carnegie Mellon University 4910 Forbes Av. Pittsburgh, PA 15213 They'll answer your questions and give you a copy of a license to sign. Once we receive the signed license, we'll mail you the software. The license says that the software is owned by CMU-TEK and that CMU isn't responsible for problems caused by this software etc. It will take a couple of weeks to process this stuff. Please, no rush exceptions. Q: We have an old license from Tektronix. Do we need to re-license? A: CMU would like everyone to have the same type of license to this software. Our current license is probably the least restrictive of any of the past. You might want to contact the above address and see what current license restrictions are. Q: Please explain "Postage and Handling may be extra"? A: We are currently charging $20 for the tape, postage, handling and the cost of reproducing one hardcopy of the documentation. This may increase to $50 sometime in the future. We use to ask that the user send us the tape and a prepaid mailer. But that was a hassle because some wouldn't send enough postage and others wouldn't send the tape. Q: Sounds like you don't like Tektronix? A: Tektronix did good by us. Their pioneering work with this stuff was a great help. Some of their original framework and design flavor remains. In retrospect we might have been better starting from scratch. We are very grateful to the technical and administrative folks at Tektronix. Q: Are you trying to put TWG and other VMS IP/TCP vendors out of business? A: No. They do hand-holding. And some of them do it quite well. We do not hand-hold. Some of those vendors are offering innovative and custom solutions to some of the IP/TCP problems. Most are willing to stand behind their work and see that it is working almost perfectly. We might occasionally take the approach of "Since you found the bug, you can help us find the fix".