Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!killer!igloo!bhv
From: bhv@igloo.Scum.COM (Bronis Vidugiris)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: ZMODEM
Keywords: zmodem file transfer cheapskates
Message-ID: <1179@igloo.Scum.COM>
Date: 1 Mar 89 00:29:08 GMT
References: <1163@igloo.Scum.COM> <4700@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM>
Reply-To: bhv@igloo.UUCP (Bronis Vidugiris)
Distribution: usa
Organization: igloo, Northbrook, IL
Lines: 51

In article <4700@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM> keithe@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) writes:
>In article <1163@igloo.Scum.COM> bhv@igloo.Scum.COM (Bronis Vidugiris) writes:
>>
>>Is there a ZMODEM file transfer program out there that is less 'obnoxious'
>>than the DSZ from Omen that was recently posted to comp.binaries.ibm.pc?
>
>The DSZ transfer protocol is NOT free.  If you are making regular use of
>it you deserve to send your payment to Omen Technologies and pay for what
>you're getting. 
>
>The only thing "obnoxious" about all this is complaints that people who do
>(good) work shouldn't be paid.
>
>>I'm really tired of being 'nagged' by the program to send in my
>>'contribution', I personaly would prefer to use a true-blue public domain
>>program - or, if this is not available, shareware that is reasonably
>>discreete about 'asking' for contributions.
>
>Well, wouldn't we all!  I'd like to go to the grocery store and fill up my
>cart full of groceries for free, too.  But I don't think the store manager
>is 'obnoxious' because he expects my money for his groceries!
>
>keith


Let me start off by saying that when I posted this article, I had used dsz
exactly _once_.  That, (plus the doc's) was all I needed to get tired of
the program.

You say 'ZMODEM is not free'.  My understanding (from reading the most
recent issue of Byte) is that the ZMODEM protocol itself _is_ public domain,
and its development was funded by a major modem maufacturer (I don't recall
which one offhand).  The DSZ documentation does refer to 'other implementations'
as well.  I would like to obtain one of these 'other implementations' because
_I_ personally _do_ find the documenation and general attitude of the
author 'obnoxious' - and I am not in an environment where the (presumed)
technical merits of (presumed) 'high quality code' are important to me.  I am quite
willing to live with something that is a little 'buggy', but is public
domain rather than blatantly commercial like DSZ.  One of the reasons that
I specifically dislike DSZ's commercialism is that there is a long past history
of public domain communications protocols - and I would like to see these
protocols remain in the public domain, and _not_ be commercialized.  

Just imagine the state of affairs of telecomunications if Ward Christensen
had decided to copyright and commercialize 'XMODEM'.

BRTW, as far as I know (which is not definite, but I could get more info
if necessary), Ward Christensen has never received a dime for the concept
of 'XMODEM'.
-- 
bhv@igloo