QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

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RWAP
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QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

Post by RWAP »

I am continuing to get abuse hurled at me for having set up my own personal software preservation project on several forums. It is interesting to read that World of Spectrum is also going through similar problems due to people becoming abusive to the people who invest time and money in the site.

As this is having a negative impact on my health, and taking me away from the small amount of time I am well enough to work each day, it is with regret that after 9 years, my own project has now come to an end.

I shall no longer be updating the QL WIki and if there is not enough interest to keep this going (and updates by others), then perhaps I should remove its hosting as it is obviously of no value. Similar comments apply to the SBASIC/SuperBASIC Reference Manual Online.

The QL community will now need to find others to take software preservation and the QL Wiki forward - there is a spreadsheet available for reference which shows the current list of known programs and status of preservation:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/84m3eizdplf9f ... .xlsx?dl=0

There is also the Italian software preservation project - which has been running alongside my own personal project and concentrates on preserving img dumps of microdrive cartridges and disks (complete with copy protection etc) - although again, Outsoft has been criticised for not making what he has preserved to date freely available for download, in breach of copyright.

So - where does it go from here?

That is up to the community to decide.

If anyone can provide evidence that permission has been obtained for even more software to be released as freeware, then I can of course release it from my stored backups - although you may still need to remove copy protection, find additional copies to merge together into one fully working copy, or alter the software to get it working on modern systems and emulators.

It is unfortunate, but for some reason there just does not seem to be much interest in trying to preserve all of the QL software.


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vanpeebles
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Re: QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

Post by vanpeebles »

Very sad news. I do wonder if most of the people complaining are even genuine QL users. They have just picked a machine up from somewhere, want to download a ton of stuff, try it then move onto something else.


RWAP
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Re: QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

Post by RWAP »

Not that sad - I have been called all the things under the sun, with some people even suggesting that they report me to the tax authorities because RWAP Software is not a legitimate business and cannot be found at Companies house.

Anyone who defends me on here, only does so because they are "my friend".

Unfortunately, it seems that at the moment, there is a huge movement to attack anyone in the retro computer scene who tries to do something positive, but just because people do not like the way it is implemented, they would rather openly attack and level abuse at the person (not just criticise) and not do anything themselves.

It will be interesting to see if even World of Spectrum survives following the latest attacks levied at the people who host and run / develop the website. Actually, I have already seen knee-jerk reactions to that fall-out with people uploading copies of all the files to google drive instead. The problem there is that you end up with multiple part complete repositories....

Now is a huge opportunity for the community to decide exactly what QL preservation should look like, how it should be funded and who should be responsible for preserving the software and maintaining any repository, dealing with copyright holders and hosting the websites / QL Wiki etc


Derek_Stewart
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Re: QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi Rich,

I am sorry you have bee abused, can list the forums, Sort of a name and shame campaign.

I will have a look and see if they can take the abuse back.

It is always the same, chinless people who want everything for nothing, always have lots of opinions and no valid input.


Regards,

Derek
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Mr_Navigator
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Re: QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

Post by Mr_Navigator »

Just some ramblings from me

Rich, is it "Nick and his cronies" from WOS that also attack you or others, I don't know who these are?

Either way its a sad state of affairs.

I cannot comprehend why people do this at a technical level as 'Retro' is only a name and not related to a fixed point in time, yesterday would be in that same category. Also the argument that when the hardware is no longer produced everything related to that should be free is a poor and pathetic argument, vehicles for example and the infrastructure around that.

Software however cannot be seen, its similar to digital copies of music, freely obtainable on the web, highlighted originally by the likes of Napster. Thus coercing the groups/bands/artists from the 70s and later to provide live concerts for their retirement fund, sales of CDs/Vinyl wont do it anymore.


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vanpeebles
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Re: QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

Post by vanpeebles »

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi Rich,

I am sorry you have bee abused, can list the forums, Sort of a name and shame campaign.

I will have a look and see if they can take the abuse back.

It is always the same, chinless people who want everything for nothing, always have lots of opinions and no valid input.
I don't think this is the best action as we don't want a load of forum inter flame wars etc. It never ends well for all concerned.


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Mr_Navigator
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Re: QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

Post by Mr_Navigator »

Interestingly this was posted on WOS regarding their forum

Hi Lee. I found this discussion thread because it was linked to on reddit. If you're looking for an alternative then I suggest /r/zxspectrum.

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/zxspectrum

I am a moderator of the subreddit and since reddit communities can scale infinitely (and are free) it would be no problem for everyone to come over there. Any of your moderators would be welcome to moderate our subreddit.

Another benefit of being hosted on reddit is that we have the full force of reddit's built-in anti-spam measures already in place. That said, we get little spam, and what spam we do get is killed mercilessly within minutes.

I'd be happy to help any user get acquainted with the platform, or any moderator acquainted with the moderation tools. At it's core, it's basically a discussion and content sharing forum.

I'll try and keep an eye on this thread, or you can send me a modmail to /r/zxspectrum on reddit.


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RWAP
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Re: QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

Post by RWAP »

Derek_Stewart wrote: I am sorry you have bee abused, can list the forums, Sort of a name and shame campaign.
It seems to be a different set of people to 'Nick and his cronies - I don't know who they are either...'

I agree with vanpeebles - it is no good posting links to the forums and giving them extra traffic - let's face it, they won't listen to anyone anyway!

I think most are the same few people - but who knows...

People now need to rally together and decide what will now happen to the software preservation.


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Outsoft
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Re: QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

Post by Outsoft »

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi Rich,

I am sorry you have bee abused, can list the forums, Sort of a name and shame campaign.

I will have a look and see if they can take the abuse back.

It is always the same, chinless people who want everything for nothing, always have lots of opinions and no valid input.

I agree, we need to make it absolutely!!!


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Outsoft
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Re: QL Software Preservation - Next Steps

Post by Outsoft »

RWAP wrote:
Derek_Stewart wrote: I am sorry you have bee abused, can list the forums, Sort of a name and shame campaign.
It seems to be a different set of people to 'Nick and his cronies - I don't know who they are either...'

I agree with vanpeebles - it is no good posting links to the forums and giving them extra traffic - let's face it, they won't listen to anyone anyway!

I think most are the same few people - but who knows...

People now need to rally together and decide what will now happen to the software preservation.
Well on the spanish forum "Retro Wiki" they put a "SPAM" word when we try to write about RICH and RWAP...next step was to get out people that are trying to defend or simply explain the position.

For me the QL FORUM need to have a proper position too on it and need to defend these attacks.

I was surprised when some Spanigh guys, that wrotes here on the UK forum, attack Rich and me too only because...I've posted the replies of Rich himself and try to defend the "legal" position ;)

I've also modified some post here for respect of all, naturally, but...It was impossibile to only try to talk with that guys.

Sincerely I'm in contact with Spanish guys since...1986...and I never got problems like that since last month ;)

It was suggested to me to susbribe on that Forum by spanish friends on IRC but I really never thought that...I can be banned simply for defend the legal rights of RWAP ;)

I always battle against this kind of DICTATORIAL way...but naturally how can a single person do it all alone?

I think RICH need more respect, and our Italian preservation project too, but I'm a bit worried about Rich because If really stops all...there will be the DEAD of QL...

So I hope the forum or the people of the forum will do something because...is absolutely intolerable.


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