[MUD-Dev] Genuinely brief intro

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

In <199706111412.JAA22412 at matrix.eden.com>, on 06/11/97 
   at 09:07 AM, "Dr. Cat" <cat at eden.com> said:

>> There is also the other side of the coin to consider. If you learn
>> something from this list (or from a newsgroup, for that matter), whether
>> it is a technique or just the glimmer of an idea, it would be proper to
>> not use it in your commercial products without the permission of the
>> originator of the idea.

If you post an idea on this list (or in a newsgroup for that matter),
its effectively public domain.  You have lost all rights and
ownership.  If you don't want to lose that excusivity, then don't post
about it.  Of course if you don't post about it, you can't discuss it,
and thus lose the benefit of many experts picking it over for flaws or
possible extensions.

Aside: I would hope that any commercial or hobbiest product which is
extensively based on ideas garnered from say this list or a newsgroup
posting would have the manners to credit the original source.

>Ideas are cheap.  N months of hard work IMPLEMENTING an idea has
>value,  especially if it's done well.  Any idea I've ever mentioned
>anywhere  publically, or ever do in the future, is absolutely free
>for anyone to  use anywhere in any way, commercially or
>non-commercially, with or  without credit.  
...
>If this sort of thing is a problem for a lot of the people on the
>list...

No problem.

Writing as list owner:

1) This thread dies here and now.  Its noise, and detracts from the
list.

2) I want to stop writing as list owner.  *Please*.

--
J C Lawrence                           Internet: claw at null.net
(Contractor)                           Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------------(*)               Internet: clawrenc at cup.hp.com
...Honorary Member Clan McFUD -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...