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From: jc@inmet.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Orphaned Response - (nf)
Message-ID: <1307@inmet.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 21-Apr-84 06:54:31 EST
Article-I.D.: inmet.1307
Posted: Sat Apr 21 06:54:31 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 23-Apr-84 00:56:47 EST
Lines: 28

#R:mprvaxa:-50400:inmet:4000061:177600:1123
inmet!jc    Apr 20 12:54:00 1984

<>

>       ...  Writers of quality software should understand that one can
> steal their code but not their reputation.

On the contrary, I've seen numerous pieces of my code, from which all
identification had been removed.  My original usually includes my name
in an initial comment, together with a statement that it is not copyrighted,
but that users should give me credit for it.  People routinely strip out
all such comments.  If this isn't stealing my reputation, what is?

This has even been done by managers in big companies.  Their euphemism
is "egoless programming".  As far as I can tell, what they mean by this
is that they don't intend to give credit where credit is due.

It would be nice if people would pay me occasionally for copies of my
programs.  But if they won't do that, the least they could do is give
me the credit (or blame) for the way it works.  How do they ever expect
to get more quality software if they don't give credit?

					John M Chambers [inmet!jc]
					Intermetrics, Inc.
					735 Concord Ave.
					Cambridge, MA 02138
"I don't have any solution but I certainly admire the problem."