Message-Id: <199709110549.AAA19580@fly.HiWAAY.net>
Reply-To: <kwall AT utw DOT com>
From: "Kurt Wall" <kwall AT utw DOT com>
To: <opendos AT delorie DOT com>
Subject: For Sale or For Free: The Debate Continues
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 00:49:41 -0500
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On Wed, 10 Sep 1997, Mike Harris wrote:
> Kurt Wall wrote:
> 
> > I, too, am tired of all the complaining that goes on in this list.
> > 
> > It would be _nice_ if they
> > released the source to some of the utilities, too, but since they were
> > not obliged to release ANY of it, I don't feel it is fair to complain. 

> 
> We agree that they weren't obliged to release anything.  However, they
let us
> believe that they would release utility sources.  If they changed their
minds,
> that's their right, but many people feel they were deceived.
-snippage-

>I thought it would be great to have the sources for DOS, and thus became
>interested in OpenDOS and helped spread the word about it.  I went to
>great lengths to inform as many people about it as possible.  I spent a
>considerable amount of time on several "opendos" mailing lists, including
>the original one on tacoma, which later moved to delorie, as well as
>caldera's own mailing lists.

We all have egg on our faces, perhaps.  I was not quite as vigorous as you,
but
I am nonetheless chagrined at the apparent Caldera turn-about.  I do not,
however,
believe they promised a full release of source code, just that source would
be
released.  I am far more interested in the kernel than the utility set,
anyway. I
would like the assembler and linker more...

-snippage-

>Had I known from the start that the sources would never be publically
>released, I'd have never spent any time with OD, never participated so
>actively on the mailing lists, and never became such an advocate of it.

>Now I find myself going back to most of the people who I proudly bragged
>about OD to (about the source code) and eating my words in embarrassment.

>Never again will I trust any commercial entity in this way again.  I will
>never advocate something again that I don't have directly within my grasp.

So, what I hear is that you're embarassed.  Understandable, given the
efforts
you expended on Caldera's behalf.

-snippage-

>Time is money.  I am owed something IMHO.  

Your time is money, but Caldera's time is not?

>At the least, I expect a sincere apology from Caldera - not just to me,
but to everyone on all >the mailing lists that have actively participated
in advocating and discussing OpenDOS.

I would think you would show a little bit of gratitude yourself, if for
nothing else than for the sources they DID release.  I, at least, have
learned not to be ungrateful.

Regards,

Kurt