[thelist] [OT] Gift Culture on the Net: A Rant

[Frank]

>  I want you to tell me, to my face, that you have the
>  right to my source code even if I don't want to share.
>  Yes, I would be a better person if I shared, but if I
>  don't, that's my choice.

There is indeed a difference between gift culture and warez culture. 
In the first, an author makes a conscious decision to give. The the 
second the person may have not made the choice, and it was taken. At 
a fundamental level, it is theft.

Now, someone comes along and says, here's a decryption program. I 
wrote it, and make it available. I have no problem with that. He is 
giving away his own work. Thanks! At that point, the one who accepts 
the gift is responsible for the usage. Double emphasis on the last 
statement.

The only issue here that I see is truly in play is the issue of privacy.

I can understand one encrypting professional work, from which money 
is made. There may be ways of thinking that sets one work apart, and 
makes it more saleable. We call these trade secrets. Don't steal and 
use someone's trade secrets. It's not nice. Create the conditions in 
which the information will be freely shared. Make a deal with them, 
join the company, or get them drunk and persuade them to talk. Just 
so long as no harm comes to person or property.

The other side of the coin is that I may want to examine your work 
before I purchase it. I need to see that your work will be 
serviceable to me should I choose to pay for it. It's one form of 
'consumer beware'. So long as I, an honorable person choose to 
respect your ability to make money based on your ideas, there is no 
problem (even though you fear there might be one).

My personal philosophy is that I will always do the very best work I 
can. I will either charge for it, or I will give it away. I as an 
author have the right to encrypt all my work. I believe that someone 
else has the right to decrypt it. They DO NOT have the right to make 
use of it, or to use any secrets they may have gleaned from it 
without my explicit consent.

The question always boils down to this: Who do I trust to be treat me 
with honour. We know many will not. It's a fact of life. We know that 
an equal number will. That's a fact of life as well. I don't fight 
software pirates, I keep them in account when I build my business 
model. If I truly want a secret kept, I keep it to myself.


-- 

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Frank Marion                      Loofah Communications
frank at loofahcom.com               http://www.loofahcom.com