Hi David!
I don't have a web site, and I am not certain how long I will be online
again. So, I have no plans for getting a new web site established.
About CNET/download.com: I would prefer to have the software files in a
group list like this. (Hopefully, Yahoo won't go bankrupt!) If people in the
group test my software and find it beneficial, then they can upload it.
Having the files in a group list like this is effective because it makes the
list more attractive to Pali people. Also: posting them here also means that
229 Pali people around the world will know about it. Good old grapevine
power :-)
On the other side of the coin: About mirroring the files. You can do
anything you want with them except charge money for them. If you wish to put
them on a web site, a CD, email them, copy them to diskette and share them -
that's all fine with me. I put everything under the GNU General Public
License for this reason: If I had *no* copyright on them then someone could
just "claim them"; copyright them "All Rights Reserved"; charge for them;
AND prevent *me* from giving them away free as daana! (in fact, under USA
law, they could then actually sue *me* for the total retail value of *my
own* work that I gave away!)
There are quite a few innovations in my software that are not implemented in
a smooth, user-friendly way. In other words, a basic user can use the
software easily, but they may not really be able to figure out what some of
the features are or how they work (unless they are a geek or have coaching
from me).
I do this to protect the ideas/innovations. By establishing the idea(s) and
a functional implementation of the idea(s) in the software I share, nobody
can prevent me (or anyone else) from using those ideas in free software.
There are many very innovative features in my software. It's simply lack of
time and money that keep me from implementing them up to a "super-duper
quality" in my free software.
Even Palitrans 2.0 "suffers" from this effect. To enter a Pali text couldn't
be easier. To use English+Sinhalese+Pali+French+Norwegian in one document is
also easy - once you figure out the few basic things needed to set it up. I
put the innovation into the software now to protect it for future free
software by me or anyone else.
And finally: if you are creating work that you would like to share for free
as (for instance) a word processor file or a spreadsheet - you may wish to
use the GNU "Free Documentation License" for your electronic work (for the
same reasons above that apply to software).
Great to hear from you!
sotthi!
Andy
-----Original Message-----
From: David Yeung [mailto:
yeung@...]
Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 8:39 AM
To:
Pali@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Pali] Re: Input Easy software version 1.4
Andy wrote:
> Note: for anyone unfamiliar with my software - it's all free under the GNU
> General Public License. If you have a copy of the software and a friend is
> interested in trying it out, then you can just copy it to a diskette and
> give it to them. There is no "special access code" that you need to use
the
> software. The software runs under Windows 95 and above.
Hi Andy,
Welcome back. And thanks for your efforts in developing software for Pali.
I would be interested in the list of the most common Pali words. So please
do post it or upload it to the files section.
About your software, do you still have a web site? Have you thought of
submitting your files to large file sites such as CNET (download.com),
etc. where they may have a more "permanent" location? Also, if people are
willing to "mirror" your files, can they put them up on their web sites?
Thanks.
--
<snip>