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From: mg@cs.Princeton.EDU (Michael Golan)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Re: OS/2 2.0beta availability -- IBM flame
Message-ID: <1991Apr26.092659.2639@newross.Princeton.EDU>
Date: 26 Apr 91 09:26:59 GMT
References: <935@slammer.UUCP> <12453@dog.ee.lbl.gov> <1991Apr25.045944.25966@cs.uow.edu.au> <1991Apr26.002345.4659@comp.vuw.ac.nz>
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Organization: Princeton University, Dept. of Computer Science
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Originator: mg@elan.Princeton.EDU

Conrad.Bullock@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Conrad Bullock) writes:

>u8902741@cs.uow.edu.au (Kiddie) writes:
>|> kushner@ux5.lbl.gov (Gary Kushner) writes:
>|> >Why doesn't someone leave a message to the sysop asking if a posting to
>|> >an anonymous ftp site would be allowed.  Repeated downloads of 18MB at
>|> >9600 baud seems like a waste of money.
>|> 
>|> Whats the reason for this policy ? It doesnt make too much sense to

>The Beta code is available on
>a special system (not on a toll free number) so that only those seriously
								 ^^^^^^^^^
>interested will get a copy. 
 ^^^^^^^^^^
Oh great. If this is any clue as to how IBM think OS/2 should look like,
we can expect to have some important, yet obscure feature given only at 
page 1539 of the manual	, because IBM figured that "only those seriously
interested will read the manual carefully".

>You are not allowed to redistribute the code
>after you get it - this is because when you download it, you read a set
>of conditions and agree to the statements, and if the code is passed on,
>there is no guarantee that these conditions are known. Also if you get it
>from the BBS, IBM will have a log of who has it.

Obviously, downloading it with a 2400 modem will take 20 hours, which
is ridicules. I guess IBM thinks that only people who can afford a 9600
modem are "serious" (Thanks god, it doesnt have to have an IBM tag on it,
does it? Getting a true blue 9600 must really make you a serious person.
Or maybe serious really means a sucker?)

Again, if this kind of attitude is what's coming with OS/2, god help us.
But maybe, just maybe, IBM got it right. Mistakes do happen, you know ...

Lighten up, IBM (ha!) One way to make sure everyone log into the BBS,
accept the agreement, etc, is to put 99% of the software on an ftp site,
and just the missing 1% in a direct BBS dialup! Or, you could put the complete
software encoded with a password, and give the password only to users who
log in, telling them not to redistribute the password. And these ideas only
took 2 minutes to come up with. I am sure even IBM can come up with something
like this (or maybe not?)

This is not a personal flame against anyone who posted to this group. The 
information you have all provided is quite useful.

  Michael Golan
  mg@princeton.edu
"how we gonna do it? we gonna PS on it! The solution (the final one) is IBM!"