If I (painstakingly) create a look-a-like font for Times, and call it 'Jimes', then I haven't broken any law unless I actually, physically, bit-for-bit copied the Times font and renamed it.
I can even legally scan in some printed output of the font, and trace over it in a font creation tool...
Similarly with any kind of graphical work - like a painting. If I simply produce a work 'inspired by' or 'based on' an existing work - without actually using any genuine copying technology like a scanner or a camera - then I haven't infringed anyone's copyright.
Free software isn't about not paying for it. If miguel sells his apps, that'd be fine. As long as he doesn't stop people from passing on the apps, including source code (and modifying them, of course).
Remember, RMS used to make money by selling emacs tapes.
Now if Miguel gives or sells his software (with source), and charges for technical support, this *is* better. This is better because I don't have to go to Miguel for technical support - so I only will if he's good. And I can choose to provide my own technical support on his products for my clients. Furthermore, I can improve his software, for the benefit of my clients - or, heaven forbid, even my friends.
Free software is about the freedom to copy and modify. Money doesn't come into it...
I'm not saying you (or anyone) shouldn't support Loki.
I question your claim that Half-Life is anything 'new' or 'exciting'. Half-Life is just Quake with different graphics and tweaked gameplay. Similarly, StarCraft was just WarCraft with new graphics.
Whereas FreeCiv, I think, is a classic:) But we probably have different taste in games - fair enough.
The open source gaming scene is taking off. In a couple of years time, it will be much more exciting.
However, I'm not entirely happy with the assertion that Lokisoft makes 'most of the uber-cool games' for Linux! This article was about how cool it is that Creative are open-sourcing their SBLive drivers. And it is very cool. So remember, that Loki don't make open source games.
Now, I do of course understand why they don't. And I do think Loki is a very exciting company, and they're doing exciting things for Linux, and I'm sure it won't be all that long before we see some more open source offerings from Loki.
But, I'd just like to remind people that there are some excellent open source games for Linux. My personal fave has to be FreeCiv - http://www.freeciv.org/ - and pingus will be excellent when it goes 1.0 - http://pingus.seul.org/
For many other superb linux games, many of them open source, pop over to http://happypenguin.org/
From what I hear, CTP is a great game. Good work, lads.
However, if you care about free software (and, if you're reading slashdot, I imagine there's a chance you do) why not think about open source alternatives?
Freeciv. OK, it's probably not as good as CTP. It's at least as good as CivII, and it has net play built in.
But more to the point - if it's not as good as CTP, then help us make it so! Contribute ideas, or better still, contribute graphics and code. FreeCiv has a modular 'ruleset' based model, so total conversions are possible with less code changing. (OK, not _no_ code changing, some things are hardwired).
Open source gaming is only just taking off - but games developed cooperatively by the community, with all those people thinking of ideas, have the potential to be out of this world..
I saw them quite a few (4?) years ago at a electronics show in London. As others have pointed out, they focus two different images in slightly different directions.
The model I saw looked to be based on a phospor CRT, in fact, and it had a 'sweet spot' - you only got the effect properly if you were standing in the right place.
The worst bit, actually, is the 'postcardware' clause - you have to inform Apple of any modifications you make.
The two termination clauses are both annoying. The first means that Apple can withdraw the license at the slightest scent of a claim, and the second (12.1(c)) means that if I sue Apple because they infringed my patent on ergonomic chairs, I lose the right to run their software, which is very odd...
Slashdot Mirror
'in lieu of' means 'instead of', not 'with regard to'.
;-)
Just to stamp on a negative meme
Jules
Fonts aren't well protected, in fact.
If I (painstakingly) create a look-a-like font for Times, and call it 'Jimes', then I haven't broken any law unless I actually, physically, bit-for-bit copied the Times font and renamed it.
I can even legally scan in some printed output of the font, and trace over it in a font creation tool...
Similarly with any kind of graphical work - like a painting. If I simply produce a work 'inspired by' or 'based on' an existing work - without actually using any genuine copying technology like a scanner or a camera - then I haven't infringed anyone's copyright.
All of which is Right, IMO.
Jules
Yeah, you're missing something.
Free software isn't about not paying for it. If miguel sells his apps, that'd be fine. As long as he doesn't stop people from passing on the apps, including source code (and modifying them, of course).
Remember, RMS used to make money by selling emacs tapes.
Now if Miguel gives or sells his software (with source), and charges for technical support, this *is* better. This is better because I don't have to go to Miguel for technical support - so I only will if he's good. And I can choose to provide my own technical support on his products for my clients. Furthermore, I can improve his software, for the benefit of my clients - or, heaven forbid, even my friends.
Free software is about the freedom to copy and modify. Money doesn't come into it...
Jules
Yup. Fair point.
:) But we probably have different taste in games - fair enough.
I'm not saying you (or anyone) shouldn't support Loki.
I question your claim that Half-Life is anything 'new' or 'exciting'. Half-Life is just Quake with different graphics and tweaked gameplay. Similarly, StarCraft was just WarCraft with new graphics.
Whereas FreeCiv, I think, is a classic
The open source gaming scene is taking off. In a couple of years time, it will be much more exciting.
Jules
[OFF-TOPIC]
This is excellent news.
However, I'm not entirely happy with the assertion that Lokisoft makes 'most of the uber-cool games' for Linux! This article was about how cool it is that Creative are open-sourcing their SBLive drivers. And it is very cool. So remember, that Loki don't make open source games.
Now, I do of course understand why they don't. And I do think Loki is a very exciting company, and they're doing exciting things for Linux, and I'm sure it won't be all that long before we see some more open source offerings from Loki.
But, I'd just like to remind people that there are some excellent open source games for Linux. My personal fave has to be FreeCiv - http://www.freeciv.org/ - and pingus will be excellent when it goes 1.0 - http://pingus.seul.org/
For many other superb linux games, many of them open source, pop over to http://happypenguin.org/
Jules
From what I hear, CTP is a great game. Good work, lads.
However, if you care about free software (and, if you're reading slashdot, I imagine there's a chance you do) why not think about open source alternatives?
Freeciv. OK, it's probably not as good as CTP. It's at least as good as CivII, and it has net play built in.
But more to the point - if it's not as good as CTP, then help us make it so! Contribute ideas, or better still, contribute graphics and code. FreeCiv has a modular 'ruleset' based model, so total conversions are possible with less code changing. (OK, not _no_ code changing, some things are hardwired).
Open source gaming is only just taking off - but games developed cooperatively by the community, with all those people thinking of ideas, have the potential to be out of this world..
Jules
I saw them quite a few (4?) years ago at a electronics show in London. As others have pointed out, they focus two different images in slightly different directions.
The model I saw looked to be based on a phospor CRT, in fact, and it had a 'sweet spot' - you only got the effect properly if you were standing in the right place.
Jules
The worst bit, actually, is the 'postcardware' clause - you have to inform Apple of any modifications you make.
The two termination clauses are both annoying. The first means that Apple can withdraw the license at the slightest scent of a claim, and the second (12.1(c)) means that if I sue Apple because they infringed my patent on ergonomic chairs, I lose the right to run their software, which is very odd...