Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!wuarchive!emory!gatech!purdue!haven!boingo.med.jhu.edu!aplcen!aplcomm!capd.jhuapl.edu!waltrip From: waltrip@capd.jhuapl.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: SLIP from next.com Message-ID: <1991Feb15.103753.1@capd.jhuapl.edu> Date: 15 Feb 91 15:37:53 GMT References: <1991Feb14.135510.3693@bernina.ethz.ch> Sender: news@aplcomm.JHUAPL.EDU Organization: CAPVAX, JHU/APL Lines: 43 In article , bob@MorningStar.Com (Bob Sutterfield) writes: > In article <5231@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> news@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU > (Remote news user) writes: > Er folks, it is really uncool to go onto a machine and grab stuff > off unless invited to and then advertise it to the world. It will > make NeXT more paranoid about how it deals with distributing of > software. Regardless of legal issues, it is a questionable > practice. > > If something is confidential then it shouldn't be put in an anonymous > FTP area. If something is accessible via anonymous FTP then it is > generally and reasonably assumed to be freely redistributable under > the terms of any attached copyrights. > I don't think that's the issue here. The original poster (Pascal Chesnais) states the practice is questionable "regardless of legal issues." In fact, if I got a copy of something via anonymous ftp that I discovered had been subsequently made deliberately inaccessible, I would assume that the ftp site didn't want the material redistributed and would cease redistribution without explicit permission. This is a matter of manners and respect rather than law. > If NeXT or any other company gets paranoid about normal and expected > behavior in a given culture, then they should spend more time learning > what's normal before trying to join that community. I'm not so sure this is normal and expected behavior. I have seen requests in other newsgroups to destroy material previous posted and have seen posts in response by people who were complying. But if this is normal behavior, it may be in the best interests of the community to adopt behavior that will attract distributors of information. I am personally more comfortable about sharing information in an environment where I feel my wishes about the distribution will be respected so the old "do unto others..." principle applies so far as I'm concerned. I'm with Pascal on this one...he seems to be encouraging the sort of community I'm most comfortable with. c.f.waltrip Internet: Opinions expressed are my own.