home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Night Owl 6
/
Night Owl's Shareware - PDSI-006 - Night Owl Corp (1990).iso
/
019a
/
dont10.zip
/
FFA_91.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1991-11-20
|
8KB
|
172 lines
╔╔╔╗
╠╠╠╣
THE SOFTWARE WHICH THIS DOCUMENT ACCOMPANIES IS FREEWARE AND HAS
BEEN DISTRIBUTED ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE "FREE FOR ALL"
CONCEPT.
WHAT IS FREEWARE?
Unlike shareware and its many variants (charityware, licenseware,
giftware and so on) no payment for using freeware is required; it is
free software. However, freeware differs from Public Domain
software, where the author donates the software to the world to use
as it pleases. The copyright for freeware remains at all times with
the author(s); this will be stated in the software and its
associated documentation as a copyright declaration. Because of
this the software may not be modified, resold, hired etc but being
free it may be given away to anyone who wants to receive it. No fee
may be charged for the use or acquisition of freeware but a small
charge may be made for the media on which it is distributed (disks,
postage, bulletin board connect time etc). Having said this, the
free distribution of freeware is encouraged whenever possible.
WHAT IS "FREE FOR ALL"?
With so much software available in many different forms it can be
very difficult to not only sort the good material from the bad but
also to determine just what the legal status of a particular item
of software is. Though the documentation accompanying the software
will usually state this (especially where a fee is required) the
situation with free software is generally less clear-cut. Often a
distinction is not made between freeware and Public Domain and it
is often left to the user to wonder whether the software in
question can be used in a particular way without infringing any
copyright which may exist.
It is intended that the "Free for All" concept will be established
as a standard to which freeware can conform so that it may easily
be distinguished from all other forms of software available. It has
an easily recognized logo which can be incorporated into the
software by the author(s) should they wish to be identified in this
way. This will clearly mark the associated software as being
freeware.
Though the usual declarations concerning copyright and the free
status of the software should of course still be included in the
documentation and the software itself, it should be widely
recognized that software bearing the "Free For All" logo will be
copyrighted but free software.
"FREE FOR ALL" PRINCIPLES
These are the basic requirements of any software distributed under
the "Free For All" concept;
1) No fee may be demanded or expected for the use of any software
designated as freeware (by definition).
2) The creator(s) of the software must retain the copyright and
this should be clearly indicated on the software itself and
its associated documentation.
3) The "Free For All" logo should be clearly visible within the
software itself such that it cannot be missed by even the most
casual of inspections. This will allow anyone evaluating the
software to determine instantly the legal status of the
software. (The logo need only appear once, say on the title
screen - it need not be everywhere.)
4) "Free For All" software must be distributed in the form it was
acquired - as a single (preferably self-extracting) archive
file. If it is not received in this way then it may not be the
complete package. Consistent distribution is necessary to
ensure that all the files required to run the software are
included and that all the necessary documentation is present.
As copyrighted material no modifications may be made to the
package before it is passed on.
5) To preserve and further the principles of "Free For All"
distribution this document should be included in the archive
file containing any software bearing the "Free For All" logo.
These rules should be mandatory in that any software bearing the
"Free For All" logo must comply with them. If an author has
requirements for the software which conflict with these guidelines
then the logo should not be used.
Any software conforming to these principle may, should its
creator(s) wish, bear the logo.
THE "FREE FOR ALL" LOGO
The "Free For All" logo consists of eight characters from the IBM
extended character set arranged thus;
╔╔╔╗
╠╠╠╣
(If you have printed this document then it is likely that this logo
will not appear as intended. To ensure that you have seen it
correctly, view this file on screen by using the DOS command TYPE
or a file viewer.)
The logo consists of the following characters;
201 201 201 187
204 204 204 185
WHY BOTHER?
The basic aim of the "Free For All" concept is to increase the
visibility of freeware and show that a price need not be
attached to high quality software.
In today's computer market high prices are commanded for what is
all too often poor quality, while often much cheaper (possibly
free) alternatives can do some if not all of the tasks performed by
their expensive counterparts. With more freeware to choose from
finding these alternatives will be made all the more easier.
While it is unlikely that freeware will supplant more sophisticated
commercial offerings (resources are rarely available to allow such
work to be done for nothing) it is plausible that if taken
seriously good quality free software can become an important part
of the computer world. Since there are no financial risks in
developing software that is to be distributed for nothing, freedom
from financial constraints allows the free play of imagination and
ingenuity resulting in innovative software which in its diversity
explores new avenues of computer development. While such software
undoubtedly exists already it is hoped that "Free For All" will
raise its profile and the feedback received will encourage its
authors to develop their ideas further, while providing an example to
newer authors.
This document has been created with two aims in mind. Firstly it
aims to establish the basis for raising the profile of freeware,
and establishing a recognisable standard for its distribution.
Secondly, but more importantly it is hoped that the very attempt to
provide such a standard will stimulate debate about the advantages
of free software in general.
Above all "Free For All" is intended to be a voluntary movement
promoted, not by any centralised body, but by the enthusiasm of
freeware developers themselves. In developing quality free software
and adopting the simple conventions of "Free For All" they will help
the world of free software present a united front against the
all-powerful barons of the software kingdom and champion the
traditions of cooperation and enthusiasm rather than competition
and profit.
╔╔╔╗
╠╠╠╣
--------------------