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From: billw@wolf.UUCP (Bill Wisner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Using PD binaries
Message-ID: <315@wolf.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 25-Apr-87 13:03:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: wolf.315
Posted: Sat Apr 25 13:03:21 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 29-Apr-87 05:10:41 EDT
References: <8704241627.AA03826@yale-eli.arpa>
Organization: The Erisian Liberation Front
Lines: 36
Summary: Moderators are such a wonderful commodity.

Ashwin Ram (ram-ashwin@YALE.ARPA) writes:

>>>  What could you say to someone who is afraid of using your posted programs
>>>  because of the risk of blowing his system ?

>>  Nothing.
>>  We all know of this risk using PD Software.
>>  We weigh the goods against the risks and make our individual choice.

> Well said, Konrad!  I sure hope people DON'T stop posting programs just
> because there are guys out there who don't trust anyone else.  I use many
> wonderful PD *binary* programs, such as UNITERM, ARC, PUZZLE, KRABAT,
> MICRO-EMACS and STSPEECH, and I'd hate to see this resource disappear.

Unless you think Jim Turner guilty of conspiracy, the binaries posted to
comp.binaries.atari.st (namely, almost all Atari binaries posted to USENET)
are eminently safe. They are all tested by the aforementioned moderator
before being posted. If you want to live your life in paranoia, fine.. use
nothing but software for which you have paid $50 or more. But when you can
get something just as good for free, why bother? UniTerm is the best terminal
emulator I have seen for ANY computer.. would you hesitate to use it out of
fear? Come on, now, this network (make that plural) is not full of the immature
teenagers that enjoy playing destructive pranks via bulletin boards. And after
seeing all the messages about UniTerm, MicroGnuEmacs, and all the other PD
programs that originate from this net, or are simply reposted here, would
you say that those messages are all a hoax to lull you into a false sense of
security so you will download the software, run it, and watch your hard drive
go boom? Right. 

[Climbs down from soapbox.]
--
#include <disclaimer.h>

-- 
Bill Wisner
..{sdcsvax,ihnp4}!jack!wolf!billw