QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

[Outsoft]

Finally Jose have wrote here so I can explain well the situation.

"This history is about one spanish guy called badaman. I think he is one of the two or three real QL user ( people that bought his QL in the 80 and still use it) that there are in Spain. He decide to leave the software he has in a forum few day after outsoft ask for QL software preserve project.

A couple of day after that, the webmaster received a message from hosting because an "anonymous" complaint for piracy software

and the the storm began...."


I got the first contact with Badaman in 2014, after the first diatribe with Rich in other Spanish forum, without know nothing about that because I was at the start of the QL preservation and he had some QL stuff that came to me across Radastan that was cracked from him.

I remember on that period there was just a site called "QL MANIACOS" that had some QL Stuff that RICH have the rights and also there was another site, that I don't remember that was from Badaman or not, but have also some commercial QL stuff on it and it cames from Spain too.

"- People gave their opinion about "anonymous" . Some people thought behind this was RWAP (and/or outsoft). He made it in the past ( Remember RADASTAN QL website?) and because you work in the "dark" QL preserve project. Your business point of view can be good for some things (your membranes service is wonderful) but raises concern in other fields."

Jose...please tell the thruth...not "SOME" people thought that...but "MOST" of that Spanish guys thought that was all do it from RICH and on the Retro Wiki forum they put a BLOCK WORD on "Rich" name and "Rwap" company too...

I've replyed about that post immediatly because I don't like injustices but I was assoulted too!

And I've tried many times, continue posting, to explain that was not a Rich fault...and what's happened? Most thought that I was Rich himself...and that was not TRUE all that I've posted...at the end I was BANNED and labeled as MAFIA...

This is not what we called "hospitality"...

No one have believed that was absolutely a case that the denounce arrived after...1 months that I've post about our italian preservation...the same I've do it months, years before in all other Spanish forums and NOTHING succeed...

It was only a "massive paranoia".

"- Some person asked for the sense of closed project (QL world) instead open project (Spectrum, Amstrad, Dragon, Atari world, etc, etc) and the future of these scenes. Many people think that close QL project don't help to death QL scene."

Never asked for real...they PRETEND to got all without explanations...and most make accusations...and never offer his help for preserve or got some rights from the authors!!! Only ask: where we can download ALL finally? It's really the END of the RWAP power? They continue OFFEND him and all his precious work!!!

Only simply critisism and nothing really concrete on the spanish front.

"- And the most import , we never speak about put in the web copyright software if the author does not want. Other question is if "someone" cry out for copyright he has but never show (and we have to believe) or "someone" that clu out for help in QL software and then sell it, or......"

What? Well 2 Spanish guys (one is Badaman) have simply do it before start that post and many of other guys thoughts that was in right...and remember that Radastan have told that haven't any other QL Commercial stuff online after the first attempt to remove it since Rich advice of 2014 but It was not true...on WOS FORUM he make his new attack and we have established that...there was all online again too!!!

I've also asked, before that post, to Badaman and Radastan his real names to put it in our greetings list because they helped us in the past but...this is another story...

"I guess this is goodbye. I allow you to close me account if you like"

Eh eh now you are the victim naturally

Why here there will be someone that want to close your account?

Here we are NOT like on RetroWiki that If you explain what you think you are automatically banned

Are you joking?

I remember well your POST on that forum...you post the link about my disguise about me and Rich was only losting our time to try to explain to Spanish guys what means "have the rights".

I've modified for respect of all Spanish guys after your post...

I think that a great SORRY for the BIG MISTAKE will be more appreciated to RICH...

About me I really don't care about it because I know that we have done all with the RESPECT of the Coyright Holders, totally different position from most of the Spanish guy on Retro Wiki.

Naturally the Spain did not get a good impression.

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

Not wanting to cause more problems, but the result of this action is a major rupture to the QL scene.

The excellent hard that Jose produced looks to be unavailable, I think I would rather have more good up to date hardware and new software rather than old software that will not run on a modern QL system and probably is not programmed correctly.

The same thing happened with the Q60 production, all the established people in the QL world did not like that 2 QL users managed to make a success of the Q60, where the Q40 production was lead into disaster situations.

I would say to Jose, please do not leave, we need people like you.

[XorA]

I guess this is goodbye. I allow you to close me account if you like

Spirited discussion does not bring out the banhammer around these parts.

[XorA]

And also its highly likely "Anonymous" complaint was a search bot trawling forums. WoS in the past has had numerous takedown requests based on bad regexp matching of modern software. Soldier of Fortune is the one that comes to mind.

[RWAP]

I don't have anything further to add to this - José we would miss your hardware.

However, my personal message to you was to ask why I was being attacked personally - it is right to have an adult disussion over the future of QL software and what form preservation should take, but unfortunately, no-one thought to even contact me before levelling insinuations and attacking me personally and my business - for the simple reason that Badaman and others are happy to breach copyright and when told to remove software they would rather attack the copyright holders.

No doubt, you will all be happy that I have now stopped my software preservation project and it is open to the community to start it all over again in whatever format they want.

Unfortunately, I never stopped anyone else from starting a software preservation effort of their own (how could I ?) but in the 9 years I have been running my own project no-one else has done anything similar, until Outsoft started one approximately 18 months ago.

If the guys on the Spanish forum want to take on some of the huge task of software preservation, then feel free - there are lots of jobs to be done.... However, you all need to understand what the copyright law is (posts on retrowiki, world of spectrum and speccy.org all show a distinct lack of understanding of international copyright law)

However, what I do with my personal collection of titles and original microdrives / disks is now up to me. No-one has the right to dictate to me to say that they must all be made freely available no matter what the copyright status.

If someone else publishes the titles and copyright holders ask for them to be removed, then have the decency to abide by the copyright holders wishes without attacking them (or me!) for asking for software to be removed which is clearly in breach of copyright.

[RWAP]

And also its highly likely "Anonymous" complaint was a search bot trawling forums. WoS in the past has had numerous takedown requests based on bad regexp matching of modern software. Soldier of Fortune is the one that comes to mind.

It could possibly have been even something like a Microsoft bot, as the site includes a download of QL Conqueror (and QL Success) both emulators, which rely on MS-DOS / DR-DOS and/or CP/M - oddly the MS-DOS / DR-DOS companion to Conqueror is not included in the download..... I wonder why....

[XorA]

However, you all need to understand what the copyright law is (posts on retrowiki, world of spectrum and speccy.org all show a distinct lack of understanding of international copyright law)

This is a very good point, as a person if you infringe copyright that is civil infringment and will get you at worse a fine in court if it ever gets there.

As a business RWAP would be liable for criminal charges which UK government has just raised the maximum gaol sentence to 10 years for.

So maybe people can see why RWAP is VERY careful about copyright!

[RWAP]

As a business RWAP would be liable for criminal charges which UK government has just raised the maximum gaol sentence to 10 years for.

So maybe people can see why RWAP is VERY careful about copyright!

The same also applies to website hosting companies (and potentially anyone running a website - certainly a forum could be seen as a business - albeit non-profit making) - hence why the hosting company would be so quick to react to any suggestion of copyright infringement - they may of course have decided themselves to keep it anonymous.

[Outsoft]

Hi,

Not wanting to cause more problems, but the result of this action is a major rupture to the QL scene.

The excellent hard that Jose produced looks to be unavailable, I think I would rather have more good up to date hardware and new software rather than old software that will not run on a modern QL system and probably is not programmed correctly.

The same thing happened with the Q60 production, all the established people in the QL world did not like that 2 QL users managed to make a success of the Q60, where the Q40 production was lead into disaster situations.

I would say to Jose, please do not leave, we need people like you.

Eheh naturally Derek we absolutely don't want that Jose leaves

But a "litte respect" on what Rich have done during these last...30 years...will be appreciated from the Spanish front.

P.S.: I've bought his Qubide clone too and I would like to do it again for me or for other friends naturally

[Outsoft]

"However, my personal message to you was to ask why I was being attacked personally - it is right to have an adult disussion over the future of QL software and what form preservation should take, but unfortunately, no-one thought to even contact me before levelling insinuations and attacking me personally and my business - for the simple reason that Badaman and others are happy to breach copyright and when told to remove software they would rather attack the copyright holders."

That is the principle


"No doubt, you will all be happy that I have now stopped my software preservation project and it is open to the community to start it all over again in whatever format they want."

I don't think are very happy Rich...first because they will lose their "atoning" subject...and then because have met me and our project too

"Unfortunately, I never stopped anyone else from starting a software preservation effort of their own (how could I ?) but in the 9 years I have been running my own project no-one else has done anything similar, until Outsoft started one approximately 18 months ago."

Absolutely and you will never stop to produce these wondeful boxes too!!!

"If the guys on the Spanish forum want to take on some of the huge task of software preservation, then feel free - there are lots of jobs to be done.... However, you all need to understand what the copyright law is (posts on retrowiki, world of spectrum and speccy.org all show a distinct lack of understanding of international copyright law)"

Like COLLABORATE...HELP...send HIS material (not only PRETEND to get all for FREE)...create some new program that helps on dumping MD's (like mDump 2 of Daniele Terdina)...etc...etc...etc...

"However, what I do with my personal collection of titles and original microdrives / disks is now up to me. No-one has the right to dictate to me to say that they must all be made freely available no matter what the copyright status."

Right

"If someone else publishes the titles and copyright holders ask for them to be removed, then have the decency to abide by the copyright holders wishes without attacking them (or me!) for asking for software to be removed which is clearly in breach of copyright".

Will attack me Rich, don't worry

Continue doing these lovely Boxes, we will go on with the preservation and then...we will see.