Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ukma!aunro!alberta!ami-cg!cg From: cg@ami-cg.UUCP (Chris Gray) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer Subject: Re: Information on Amiga Technical Reference Seri Message-ID: Date: 19 Jun 91 02:29:39 GMT References: <3036@public.BTR.COM> <22380@cbmvax.commodore.com> <3068@public.BTR.COM> <22472@cbmvax.commodore.com> <3098@public.BTR.COM> Organization: Not an Organization Lines: 43 In article <3098@public.BTR.COM> valentin@public.BTR.COM (Valentin Pepelea) writes: >Our discussion has been limited to whether publishing the source code is a >good idea. So far we have been given only the following reasons against it: > >1. The copyright laws do not adequately protect you. >2. Imbeciles might do imbecile things. > >Any other bright arguments? > >In my opinion, the only reason that a company might have to not publish source >code is that it does not want to give other people the opportunity to learn >for studying the Amiga operating system. I'm not talking copying, since no >individual would be stupid to plagiarize, but rather to learn from other >people's mistakes and prevent any reoccurences. I disagree. The past shows that with many systems, the Amiga included, there are lots of people out there who will do stupid things, again and again. If the only people who programmed the Amiga were "professionals", then a) what you are saying MIGHT be true, depending on your definition of professional (what about the game programmers?) b) there would be a lot less innovation, a lot less tools, etc. c) there would be very little "hacker excitment" about the Amiga, which would be a bad thing, in my opinion Commodore is doing the only reasonable thing by not releasing the source code to the system. An argument could be made for licensing to professionals (for enough money, and with enough legal guarantees to make it safe), but it likely isn't worth the effort. On your other pet peeve: I'm academically interested in your VM implementation, but I don't have any use for it. I would like to have protected processes, however, but we know how hard that would be in general. Can you please take your disagreements with CBM to mail - your posts sound like a combination of sour grapes and dirty laundry. [Gee, have I just flamed someone?] -- Chris Gray alberta!ami-cg!cg or cg%ami-cg@CS.UAlberta.CA