Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 18:19:50 -0500
Reply-To: "John H. Rodgers" <inua@QUICKLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "John H. Rodgers" <inua@QUICKLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: CD - more
-- [ From: John H. Rodgers * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --
If I understand correctly, the proposal is(1) a CD will be produced that
will be essentially a copy of the archives. (2) the labor will be voluntary
, (3) there will be no profit after the direct expenses of producing the CD,
(4) should there be any profit it will be appplied to the operation and
maintenance of the listserver so we may continue to enjoy our special
relationship revolving around our beloved VW boxes, whether type2, aircool
vanagons, or wasserleakers.
This may be an over-simplification, and certainly should be run by a
copyright attorney, but it would appear on the surface that without a profit
motive a simple "copy of the archive" onto a CD in searcheable format for
distribution would not be a problem.
Re: excerpt from copyright statement from the listserver.
>>Posting messages to this mailing list grants permission
to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the
message in a compilation, either printed or electronic.<<
It appears the administrators already have the authority to publish in print
or on a CD.
The archive is already available. We are all searching in the archive in
it's present location. What difference is it if it is on a CD in your
computer at home or on someone elses computer half way around the world( for
some of us!).We still have access. It is free. There is no profit to anyone
for service. The server is supported by gifts and donations. Heck, lets
all DONATE to the listserver to increase the operating budget, and then ASK
to have the CD's distributed free to the list members.I feel the
server/administrators would help here if approached correctly.
If anyone is so cheap as to donate nothing, but still get a free CD may his
headlights go out at midnight in a thunderstorm on Pikes Peak.
If a profit is to be made, that is one thing, if there is no profit, that is
another. If I understand correctly, copyright law allows for personal use
of copyright material anyway as long as no profit motivation is involved.
I have a box full of 100 meg disks with e-mail on them from this list. They
are the collected comments and writings of the vanagon brothers from all
over. It's the same stuff that goes into the archives. I did not copy this
stuff off the net. It was SENT TO ME by my listserver. I am set up so when
my e-mail arrives it simply downloads directly on to the 100 Meg disk. When
I get to it, I delete the stuff unimportant to me, and keep the rest. Voila!
!, a ready made searchable archive of my own, with only things pertinent to
me in it. The difference between that and a CD is (1)my disks don't have as
much room as a CD.(2) My list server sent it to me for being a subscriber. I
suspect that a bunch of folks on this list have done the same thing. As long
as I have my Vanagon, I will keep the material as reference. When the van
goes, I will erase the disks and use them for something else. I want to
emphasize something here.......my listserver GAVE these e-mail posts to me,
SENT them to me via the internet and phone lines directly to my disc on my
computer in my home. But I would rather have a CD. What is wrong with my
server GIVING me a CD of the archives and SENDING it to me in the mail.
It's like the server saying " The archive is on the net for you to browse,
but here, here is a CD of the thing, you can look at it when you are off
line and at your convenience. Just keep in mind it gets oudated rapidly, and
the current stuff is on the net!"
So , as the little boy sez, "before everybody gets he't up over nuthin'!",
lets be sure we are focused on the real issue.
I am not suggesting that copyright owners be steamrolled. Just that the
appropriate view be taken here. And unless someone logically convinces me
otherwise I don't see a problem, as long as the listowner/server is directly
involved and credited for his part, and the contibutors to the list are
credited in some way. It's done all the time.
John Rodgers '85 GL Driver in Alabama