From 8651c7fdc6b1c254ce49b7e19745077c2577971a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Jeff Parsons Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2017 12:51:23 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] Blog post update --- _posts/2017-07-09-magware.md | 34 +++++++++++++++++++-------- disks/pcx86/shareware/pcmag/README.md | 4 ++++ 2 files changed, 28 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-) diff --git a/_posts/2017-07-09-magware.md b/_posts/2017-07-09-magware.md index 0315b7151..6d66fb386 100644 --- a/_posts/2017-07-09-magware.md +++ b/_posts/2017-07-09-magware.md @@ -22,6 +22,20 @@ I'm calling these disks *Magware* because I can't be sure exactly how to classif was probably considered free: source code was generally included without any restrictions. But it's possible that the magazines also redistributed some third-party software that fell into more of a *Shareware* category. +> #### July 10, 2017 Update + +> Out of curiosity, I looked through [PC Magazine Vol. 6 No. 8 (April 28, 1987)](https://archive.org/details/PC-Mag-1987-04-28) +> for references to the "PLAY" files contained in one of the older archived [PC Magazine Disks](/disks/pcx86/shareware/pcmag/). +> They accompanied the article "A DOS MUSIC GENERATOR", which included this disclaimer: + +> > "The programs that appear in our Programming/Utilities column (as well as other programs we publish) can be +> > downloaded by modem from the PC Magazine Interactive Reader Service. There is no charge for this service, but +> > users are cautioned that these programs are copyright material and are made available only for individual, +> > noncommercial use. You may make copies for others (including placement on noncommercial electronic bulletin boards), +> > as long as no charge is involved. However, making copies for any commercial purpose is strictly prohibited." + +> So it's clear we're not dealing *only* with "free" software, at least as it was considered at the time. + About these collections: I'm thrilled that they exist. Not everyone needs to be (or should be) a collector, but the world needs at least a few dedicated individuals working in every domain (hardware, software, books, magazines, photographs, recordings, etc) along with museums and libraries to support their efforts. So kudos to the folks @@ -57,23 +71,23 @@ Programmer's Corner by choice, but only out of necessity. On a more philosophical note, I think it's important for a service to be clear about what we're paying for; ie, that we're paying for an archival service and that the money being generated for that service (whether by ads or donations) -is purely in support of that service, and that the archived items themselves are not being held hostage ("ransomed") or -used in any way that the original authors might have disapproved of. +is purely in support of that service, and that the archived items themselves are not being held hostage ("ransomed") +in order to supplement that income. -It shouldn't be hard to create a compelling website with useful features that people will *want* to revisit repeatedly. -Even a site that's just a bunch of "downloads" should be able to avoid resorting to gimmicks if they at least have a -mission, are actively working to promote that mission, and build a community of like-minded people who believe in that -mission. +It shouldn't be hard to create a compelling website with useful features and community benefits, apart from the content, +that people will *want* to support and revisit. And when people *do* support it, they shouldn't continue to be hounded +or stymied in their efforts to access the content. The [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/) model, where you try to get a handful of people to support your project with small monthly contributions, seems like one possible solution. Of course, that usually requires working on the project on a regular basis, and if a website like [The Programmer's Corner](https://www.pcorner.com) is more or less on auto-pilot, that probably won't work. -I've thought about this problem in the context of PCjs, and what, if anything, I could or should do to help pay for its -monthly operating costs (which are currently around $30/month for hosting and bandwidth). Ads are a horrible idea, -because they're both unsightly and unseemly. I've come to conclusion that you have to make money doing something else, -and that projects like this just have to be supported by people's own personal obsessions, passions, and other intangibles. +I've thought about this problem in the context of PCjs, and what, if anything, I should do to help pay for its +monthly operating costs (which are currently around $30/month for hosting and bandwidth). I dislike the idea of using +ads, because they're both unsightly and unseemly, and it's unlikely they would cover even those small operating costs. +I've come to conclusion that you have to make money doing something else, and that projects like this just have to +survive on good will -- and lots of "free time". *[@jeffpar](http://twitter.com/jeffpar)* *Jul 9, 2017* diff --git a/disks/pcx86/shareware/pcmag/README.md b/disks/pcx86/shareware/pcmag/README.md index e5137d7c3..6fbbee275 100644 --- a/disks/pcx86/shareware/pcmag/README.md +++ b/disks/pcx86/shareware/pcmag/README.md @@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ will surface over time. [Let us know](mailto:Jeff@pcjs.org) if you find more. 7 file(s) 68810 bytes 90112 bytes free +> PC Magazine (Vol. 06 No. 08) is available at the Internet Archive as "[PC Mag 1987-04-28](https://archive.org/details/PC-Mag-1987-04-28)". + ### Directory of [PC Magazine (Vol. 06 No. 09)](/devices/pcx86/machine/5160/ega/640kb/?autoMount=%7B"B":%7B"name":"PC Magazine %28Vol. 06 No. 09%29"%7D%7D) Volume in drive A is VOL06N09 @@ -46,6 +48,8 @@ will surface over time. [Let us know](mailto:Jeff@pcjs.org) if you find more. 6 file(s) 56031 bytes 102912 bytes free +> PC Magazine (Vol. 06 No. 09) is available at the Internet Archive as "[PC Mag 1987-05-12](https://archive.org/details/PC-Mag-1987-05-12)". + ### Directory of [PC Magazine (Vol. 06 No. 10)](/devices/pcx86/machine/5160/ega/640kb/?autoMount=%7B"B":%7B"name":"PC Magazine %28Vol. 06 No. 10%29"%7D%7D) Volume in drive A is VOL06N10