Maybe OT but of interest to some

[nt4-ever]

as Appropriate i took this
discussion to:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.comp.freeware.discussion
where it is right to discuss
the "Free" concept ...

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

A free license isn't always a license to sell.

I meant a free software licence.

 

[Jeff Needle]

I believe that OO is GPL. <gotcha!>

Yes, by all means - notify the owners.

Gosh, I guess I don't know the difference. How is GPL different from Open
Source?

 

[Jeff Needle]

I have read this thread from the beginning to where it is now, and it

strengthens my belief that you never should buy any medium with
something that is available for free! Instead burn the CDs/DVDs
yourself, and keep 'em for reasons of archiving, or share 'em (at no
cost of course) with friends.

As for this lot, I think Jeff did a good thing: Making his experiences
public; just a pity that you can't upload a 'flashy banner' in a text
only newsgroup <grin>. I hope he finds something to make this lot pay
back!!!

Well, I've already alerted the folks at the Sword project. I'll wait to see
what they have to say, then contact the Open Office people. It would be
interesting to go to the web site for Think All and see what other stuff
they're offering for pay.

 

[Jeff Needle]

AFAIK there's nothing illegal about selling either of those apps. See:

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

``Free software'' is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the
concept, you should think of ``free'' as in ``free speech,'' not as in
``free beer.''

Wow. Maybe I'm just flapping my jaws on this one.

 

[Jeff Needle]

as Appropriate i took this
discussion to:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.comp.freeware.discussion
where it is right to discuss
the "Free" concept ...

Thanks.

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

Gosh, I guess I don't know the difference. How is GPL different
from Open Source?

The GPL is one of many open source licenses.

The terms "open source software" and "free software" refer to
more-or-less the same thing. People use one term or the other
depending on what concepts they want to emphasize.

<http://www.opensource.org/docs/history.php>

<http://www.fsf.org/licensing/essays/free-software-for-freedom.html>

Under the Free Software Foundation's definition of "free software",
selling it must be allowed. Also, under the Open Source
Initiative's definition of "open-source software", selling it must
be allowed.

 

[In_Parentheses]

Well, I've already alerted the folks at the Sword project. I'll wait
to see what they have to say, then contact the Open Office people. It
would be interesting to go to the web site for Think All and see what
other stuff they're offering for pay.

If their web site is located at www . thinkall . com (spaces intentional
put there), then they have their domain information well protected, and
they aren't offering lists of what software they actually have on the CDs.

Now, Jeff, I don't know whether you're located in the USA, but wouldn't
this be something for either one of the many consumer programs, or the
BadBusiness.com web site ( http://www.badbusinessbureau.com/ )?

 

[In_Parentheses]

In addition to my previous post:

Chris Hanscom's blog:

http://www.veign.com/blog/2006/01/thinkallcom-think-again.html

BadBusinessBureau.com

http://tinyurl.com/ejxmv

(which leads to (link will break):

http://www.steadysearch.com/search?p=Q&ts=ne&fo=no&opt=lpsearch&w=%
22think+all+publishing%22+%2B%22fraud%22 )

DonationCoder:

http://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?topic=2083.0

Seems to me that you aren't the only victim of this company!

 

[Lou]

An update since. yesterday -- I got an e-mail from them. It said, in so
many words, tough shit. You kept it, you paid for it. And then they had
the balls to say, "The good news is that you don't have to return the CDs!"
I could have screamed!!!

Complain to your state's bureau of consumer affairs (or similar name) which is
usually part of the state attorny general's office.
Post (repeatedly) a warning notice in this and similar groups / forums with
heading "Think All" Scam? Use Q mark in case they try to sue.
Post your story / warning and "ask" if others think it is a scam.

Lou
Like the old saying goes, "when a guy with experience meets a guy with
money, the guy with the experience gets the money and the guy with the
money gets experience.".

 

[LPV]

You got it. Their e-mail said, "It's there for you to read, so it's your
fault if you didn't read it."

I wish there was some way to mount an organized campaign against them.
But then again, I'm just really angry right now. I'll cool down in a few
days.

This sounds like a situation you may want to write "The Dog" at Maximum PC
magazine about.

(e-mail address removed)

For those unfamiliar with Maximum PC magazine, "Watchdog" is the consumer
advocate section of the magazine. Having read this magazine for a number of
years, "The Dog" seems to be a pretty aggressive person(s).

Loren

Loren

 

[canetoad]

Complain to your state's bureau of consumer affairs (or similar name) which is
usually part of the state attorny general's office.
Post (repeatedly) a warning notice in this and similar groups / forums with
heading "Think All" Scam? Use Q mark in case they try to sue.
Post your story / warning and "ask" if others think it is a scam.

Lou
Like the old saying goes, "when a guy with experience meets a guy with
money, the guy with the experience gets the money and the guy with the
money gets experience.".

What a slimy pack of bastards. A quick google of "thinkall scam" shows
you are not the only one taken for a ride by these unethical arseholes.
Here are some comments you may find useful:
http://www.veign.com/blog/2006/01/thinkallcom-think-again.html
Good luck Jeff.

 

[Al Klein]

I meant a free software licence.

Software can be released with a license to sell or with no license to
sell - it's entirely up to the author. (As in "no amount may be
charged, even a medium charge".)

 

[Al Klein]

The terms "open source software" and "free software" refer to
more-or-less the same thing.

As far as price.

Free software gives you a package to install and run. Open source
gives you the source code as well Or sometimes JUST the source code -
you compile it yourself. If you can't, that's too bad. (Usually only
with *nix software.)

 

[Al Klein]

Now, Jeff, I don't know whether you're located in the USA, but wouldn't
this be something for either one of the many consumer programs, or the
BadBusiness.com web site ( http://www.badbusinessbureau.com/ )?

What they're doing may not actually be bad business (providing a lot
of downloadable code for a small sum) especially to people on dial-up,
or those who pay by the minute or by the meg), but it's almost
certainly illegal in there somewhere. (I'd be very surprised if at
least one of the programs didn't prohibit a medium or distribution
charge.)

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

Software can be released with a license to sell or with no license
to sell - it's entirely up to the author. (As in "no amount may
be charged, even a medium charge".)

It can be released that way, but then it's not free software.

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

As far as price.

Free software gives you a package to install and run. Open source
gives you the source code as well Or sometimes JUST the source
code - you compile it yourself. If you can't, that's too bad.
(Usually only with *nix software.)

The differences between free software and open-source software don't
involve the source -- the source must be made available to all users in
both cases. Free software may also be distributed only as source, and
frequently is.

 

[Jeff Needle]

Now, Jeff, I don't know whether you're located in the USA, but wouldn't

this be something for either one of the many consumer programs, or the
BadBusiness.com web site ( http://www.badbusinessbureau.com/ )?

Sigh, I have to say that I've heard from the Sword development people and,
according to them, there's nothing that prohibits anyone from charging
anything they want to charge for these projects. They seem to have broken
no laws or rules, they only lack the common decency to make clear their
intentions.

Sigh.

 

[Jeff Needle]

Now, Jeff, I don't know whether you're located in the USA, but wouldn't

this be something for either one of the many consumer programs, or the
BadBusiness.com web site ( http://www.badbusinessbureau.com/ )?

Forgot to mention that the website above is just great! And Think All
already has a long list of complainers.

Thanks.

 

[Jeff Needle]

Complain to your state's bureau of consumer affairs (or similar name)
which is
usually part of the state attorny general's office.
Post (repeatedly) a warning notice in this and similar groups / forums
with
heading "Think All" Scam? Use Q mark in case they try to sue.
Post your story / warning and "ask" if others think it is a scam.

Lou

Good ideas. Their lousy business practices are already on several sites,
mentioned in this thread. I have a few other ideas I'm going to follow up
on.