25 Nov
2004
25 Nov
'04
6:28 a.m.
On Thu, 25 Nov 2004, Tony Duell wrote:
A couple of days ago somebody on this list mentioned
they were having
PCBs made for a DEC KM11 (maintenance board) clone based on my design.
And that they intended to sell said PCBs and/or kits.
Now, for the record, I was never asked if I minded about this. I never
gave permission. To be honest, I _don't_ mind. I prodcued that design
initially to get my own 11/45 running, and shared it with the world in
the hope that it would keep a few more machines going. And if somebody
wants to make PCBs for it, fine, go ahead. I am not going to stop you.
But do you think I should have been asked first?
I guess it comes down to how you want to be paid for your work.
Some people, like you, are content to remain anonymous perhaps. You enjoy
the credit when you receive it, but you don't go seeking it. You are
content that what you've done helped humanity in general.
Other folks (and I fall into this camp) want to at least receive credit
for the work they have done. Who you are when you pass is what you've
left for the world. To some people, leaving a legacy is important.
(Hopefully, you strive to leave a positive legacy :)
Yet other folks want strict control over their work. They will release it
under certain conditions, whether that means exchanging money or
otherwise. As creators or producers of a work, they are entitled to that.
Then there are the folks who think nothing of profiting from work that is
not theirs while not even acknowledging the creator/producer. Theirs is a
short term and selfish interest. Their only contribution is in getting
something into the hands of someone who needed it.
Ethics: it's not just a word.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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