slight glitch

[Holllywood]

Robert thanks,
  I just saw this thread about the calendar. I believe it has also solved my problem of the appointment reminders. I re-installed... and so far so good. No reminders. And the 32nd day is gone as well.

[Holllywood]

Whoops!! I'd better take that back Robert.

"Make an appointment to watch Nova 10-11-05 at 8pm."

  This reminder is still here.

[Art]

nolitanger,

I feel your pain...

Unless you personally have written a software program you do not own it. This applies to practically every program on your computer including the Operating System!
All you are buying / paying for is a LICENSE to use the program, nothing more.
Years ago you might buy a program but the real owner was the copyright holder ie. the owner/programmer.
It's the way it has always been in the matrix.

[Bill819]

You are correct, just like when you purchase something from Micorsoft you never own it, you only lease it. As a matter of fact there are very few things that you can purchase outright in the world of software any more you only get a license to use it.
So you bought a game and you think you own it, just try to make copies and sell them to starngers and see how fast you wind up with a big law suit on your hands.
The only think that you can 'own' is something that you create yourself and then only if you copyright it.
Bill

[nolitanger]

To me, software programs are like books, songs, pictures. Yes, they're copyrighted, but I can still own a copy. There's no guy there turning the page, starting up the CD before I can listen to it. The copy's mine, and it should be fully operational.  

Products that require online activation, on the other hand, are crippled in some way. As I said on another thread, I operate such a product at the seller's pleasure. It's like selling me a product and not really giving it to me. I understand why companies do this--they're trying to curtail piracy--but I think they're doing it at my expense. And there's no protection for me if that company goes out of business.

[Scratch]

hey nolitanger,

My understanding is that the initial activation is a one-time thing. If Adobe went out of business, its software would continue to function, and I assume the same thing is true with UltraHal. I just rebooted with no internet connection to test it and Hal does not require an internet connection to startup or run.
 
What you pay money for when you buy software is the serial number, plain and simple. The actual physical value of the CD is what, a few cents? and it can be copied for free. Without licensing, there'd be little or no investment in software development because it would be a financial loss.

(That being said, I'm a big fan of open source - I think Zabaware strikes a pretty good balance).
-Shawn

[markofkane]

That is true, you never actually own anything. If the government wants it, they'll take it. Either with ease, or by force.

That being said, I feel like I'm a criminal, because I wouldn't share Hal with anyone. But the software makers (besides the makers of Hal) assume you are going to copy, and share the program with others.

That means they don't trust us. But, like I said, the bad few ruins it for everyone.

 I wish Hal could become "always operational" for me. But if the activation is not available, it's just another program to erase. And the enjoyment is gone.

But, I am not smart enough to write programs. I can understand from a developer's point of view. I would not want anyone stealing something I worked countless hours on, unless I was willing to make it open source.

Like I said, (in a manner of speaking) "One bad apple spoils the whole bunch"

[Holllywood]

quote:Originally posted by Holllywood

Whoops!! I'd better take that back Robert.

"Make an appointment to watch Nova 10-11-05 at 8pm."

  This reminder is still here.

Thanks Robert, It was coming as a response. found it! Fixed it!

  Thank you for the tip about the auto learn...

[nolitanger]

Folks,

We do own stuff. The rights of property in the West are sacrosant. That's what makes us different from Communists (who theoretically own things in common) or Dictatorships (where no one has rights except the dictator).

If I buy a book or a copy of a song, I own that copy. And as long as I adhere to the laws governing fair use, it's mine. If someone breaks into my house and steals that book, for example, they're stealing my property, not the author's. In fact, if the author breaks into my house and steals his book, he's stealing my property, not his.

And to my mind, a seller shouldn't be allowed to sell you something and then not alow you to own it, to use it, without their say-so. However, product activations do just that. They deprive me of true ownership; they deprive me of the full use of the product.

Frankly, if I buy Hal6, I don't own really own my copy of it and I'm not really free to use it: those things I do at Mr Medeksza's pleasure. I can't use or operate Hal, even though I supposedly bought my copy, unless Mr Medeksza activates it. So what did I buy? What have I really got out of the deal? I say again: a cripppled product, a product with a key piece removed and which the seller holds onto.

[Art]

Again, as free as we residents of the US think we are we really are only living under the government's guidelines.

You own your house free and clear yet you still have to pay yearly taxes on it. If the government (Federal or local) ever needs access to that property it can be taken from you by way of Eminent Domain (quite similar to Mr.Spock's, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

Case in point, back in 1940, my grandparents owned a house. The state decided they were going to build a bridge right where their house stood. The government said "This is what we will give you to move or else we can condemn your house and take posession of it anyway." They took the offer and rebuilt in another location.

That book you "own". It is yours to use, read, enjoy, but that's where your "ownership stops. The contents of the book are copyrighted by the author and you are not even allowed to copy, reprint, use or reproduce any passage(s) from the book without the expressed written consent of the author. Like a CD, you own the physical item but NOT what's contained on / in the item.

Ownership is a very subjective issue and things in this regard are not always as they seem.

You own a coin or paper currency, valuable as it may be, but you are not allowed to deface it or copy it (according to the law).

My physical body is mine to use while I have it, provided I take care of it according to the "rules" of good health and the "rules" of society. But like all things, it is not forever.

You don't really own your copy of Windows with which you wrote this article but your license agreement with Microsoft allows you full use for as long as you abide by their agreements.

There are a lot of things we don't necessarily agree with as a society but most of us "bite the bullet" and accept things that all work out in the long run anyway.

I do know where you're coming from and I do know it's an uphill battle that you can never win, no matter what.

[Dave1152]

However I personally do believe in reverse engineering to make something better. For example I run Windows 98 but I run it off a compact flash. Doing this suits my purposes with some tradeoffs. Its kind of like kind of like mapping out the human geneome, scientist are reverse engineering the human body to make it better, etc.etc,. But too many people abuse the findings of reverse engeneering, and so it is illegal in many situations.