[ILUG-BOM] Re: OT the middle path

[Philip S Tellis]

I think the big question here is of Intellectual Property.  Taking
Microsoft as an example only (and not targeting them specifically), the
belief is that MS Word should not be redistributed by anyone other than
Microsoft Licencees.  The reasoning being that they have put a lot of
intellectual work into it and they should be compensated for it.  That
is true.  People should be compensated for their ideas - if those ideas
are revolutionary.  The ideas in Word, and almost all commercial
software are by no means revolutionary.

When DOOM first came out, it was revolutionary.  The amazing graphics on
a 386 really `kicked ass', as the expression goes.  They had every right
to keep the source closed for as long as they did.  ID Software realised
something that most other developers don't.  Soon enough, other
developers figured out how to write games like DOOM, and then Carmac and
Abrash wrote so many books.  ID decided to open source doom (or was it
Quake) at that time.  I think they first started by giving away level
editors free.

All game companies give away level/map editors today, but how many have
opened their source?

NOTE: I use open source and not free software here.

Philip

-- 
Basic is a high level languish.  APL is a high level anguish.


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