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From: ewiles@netxdev.DHL.COM (Edwin Wiles)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Omega tank exchange anyone ??
Summary: Sure!
Message-ID: <1611@netxcom.DHL.COM>
Date: 26 Oct 89 22:34:50 GMT
References: <1989Oct25.063255.21509@welch.jhu.edu>
Sender: news@netxcom.DHL.COM
Reply-To: ewiles@netxdev.UUCP (Edwin Wiles)
Organization: /etc/organization
Lines: 42

In article <1989Oct25.063255.21509@welch.jhu.edu> mjr@welch.jhu.edu (Marcus J. Ranum) writes:
>
>	Anyone in net-land interested in exchanging Omega(tm) tanks
>for a little fun and games ??

Sure!  I checked the game out at the store, but didn't buy it then because
I didn't want to have "yet another game that I've no one else to play with".

>If there's interest, I can make a
>directory available for anon. FTP, to store 'em in.

Please! Don't Do It This Way!  Not everyone who's interested has Anon FTP
capabilities (I don't).  Nor does everyone who's interested have the cash to
spend on long distance UUCP calls (I won't).  So, how about posting them to
some news group?  Presumably the files aren't too huge?  What size are they?
If no news group seems apropriate, then how about a mailing list?  I'd suggest
Compu$erve, an expense that I already incur; but others don't, so the above
'cost' and 'access' arguments apply to CI$ too.

Before I purchase the game though, I need to understand more about it's
protection mechanism (if any).  I will not tolerate a 'key disk' protected
program for two reasons:  a) I've a hard drive, and b) I will not be held
hostage to a particular floppy.  I can tolerate a 'key word' mechanism, where
you must enter a 'randomly' selected word from the manual.  (I've usually got
the manual handy anyway, and if it gets Coke spilt on it, it's not as drastic.)

There was also something strange about him not being able to demonstrate it due
to it forcing you to make a copy and only running from the copy?  (It seems he
didn't want to have dozens of game containing floppies lying about for demo
purposes......I wonder why?? :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) )

I believe he indicated that this was becoming a common practice.  Force the
user to make a 'backup' and only allow them to run from the 'backup'.  An
interesting concept!  Enforced Safe Computing!

[ Appologia:  I would probably have mailed this, but mailing from this system
  is seriously busted; they just recently got posting to work again.  Isn't it
  wonderful what a "system upgrade" can do to you? <rueful-grin> ]
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