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From: sonny@charybdis.harris-atd.com (Bob Davis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Where are the PD & Freeware (not Shareware) Archives?
Message-ID: <5190@trantor.harris-atd.com>
Date: 6 Jan 91 17:06:56 GMT
References: <5156@trantor.harris-atd.com> <1991Jan5.223144.7942@beach.csulb.edu> <1991Jan6.141927.22377@uwasa.fi>
Sender: news@trantor.harris-atd.com
Reply-To: sonny@trantor.harris-atd.com (Bob Davis)
Organization: Advanced Technology Dept., Harris ESS, Melbourne, FL
Lines: 53

In article <1991Jan6.141927.22377@uwasa.fi> hv@uwasa.fi (Harri Valkama LAKE) writes:
>In article <1991Jan5.223144.7942@beach.csulb.edu> dlittlej@beach.csulb.edu ("Darren Littlejohn") writes:
>>Here is a million of 'em. Knock yourself out.
>>Darren Littlejohn...future great person and benefactor of all humanity.
>
>NO, NO, STOP THE PRESS! This is ages old. This list is updated monthly
>and we have Jon Granrose who maintains this list has  just sent us the
>newest version. You can get it from his mail server or by using ftp or
>our mail server from chyde.uwasa.fi
>
>We have it as pc/doc/ftpsites.lst
>
>-- 
	This list of ftpsites is a good list, and I recommend it to
all.
	HOWEVER, as I said in a prior post here, this is not what I
sought in my original post that began this thread. I seek an archive
which specializes in STRICTLY Public Domain or Freeware DOS software.
NOT SHAREWARE. An archive with an index that somehow flags PD or
Free stuff would be nice. When I purchase Shareware or Commercial
software I want to do so armed with the knowledge of the capabilities of
the Free software it has to beat.
	There seems to be an erroneous, deep-seated, widespread belief 
(one could almost say universal belief, from what I have seen) that EVERYTHING 
available by anonymous ftp is in the Public Domain.

	From the informed user's standpoint, it would be wonderful if
archive indexes flagged software as: 

	1. PD (anyone can use, modify, sell it even, without paying anyone 
	       anything)

	2. Freeware (Copyrighted but free to the individual, 
		     noncommercial user. Commercial users often
		     have to pay.)

	3. Shareware (Free distribution and trial use, but if I like it
	              and continue to use it, I pay for it).

	From all evidence, even software authors are confused about these
classifications. For example, I have seen a package in which the author
in one paragraph magnanimously announces that the package is hereby
placed into the Public Domain, in the next paragraph he states that
the package is Copyright (C) with All Rights Reserved, followed by
a paragraph in which he gives an address to which $10 should be sent if
you like the software. Now, buddy, that just about covers ALL the bases!

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