The Great $Pricelessware $Racket
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From: Jeffrey Bloss on 4 Oct 2009 11:23 On Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:32:41 +0200, whistleblower wrote: > a) it is quite likely that someone is going to get caught > in a trap for selling a PL CD and will be prosecuted under > law. To avoid this, the PL ISOs need to be removed from > �Q�'s download server The same "Q" who disappeared when it was pointed out that he was aiding and abetting a criminal scheme. Funny how that happens. Ask John Fitzsimmons. -- _?_ Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. (@ @) Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. -oOO-(_)--OOo-------------------------------[ Groucho Marx ]-- grok! Devoted Microsoft User
From: Jeffrey Bloss on 4 Oct 2009 11:27 On Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:15:37 +0100, hummingbird wrote: > The person who hosts the PL ISO downloads (�Q�) should be in > possession of ALL permissions to distribute any freeware program. > In some cases this is included in the licence, others require > explicit approval from the authors, who may impose conditions. > �Q� does not have these permissions and is therefore hosting the > ISOs unlawfully. It's as simple as that. To add, it is ethically incumbent on the Pricelessware goons to make those permissions available for public viewing. Isn't freeware for the public use (with limitations as imposed by each author)? There is only one reason why the goons have not and *will* not perform this mandatory action. *They don't have the permissions* -- _?_ Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. (@ @) Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. -oOO-(_)--OOo-------------------------------[ Groucho Marx ]-- grok! Devoted Microsoft User
From: Jeffrey Bloss on 4 Oct 2009 11:31 On Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:21:09 +1000, Gary R. Schmidt wrote: > When the previous PWH CD was compiled, That's history, licenses change, authors change their interpretations, this is a yesterday argument and a dodge. > the developers of the various > items were contacted to determine whether the products could be > redistributed, I assume they all assented. You assume, why? It would be much easier and have a much higher chance of being correct if you assumed that each and every author has *not* given his written permission. > I would be surprised if the same effort was not made this year. > > Cheers, > Gary B-) I'm not surprised at this naive statement. -- _?_ Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. (@ @) Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. -oOO-(_)--OOo-------------------------------[ Groucho Marx ]-- grok! Devoted Microsoft User
From: hummingbird on 4 Oct 2009 11:36 On Sun, 4 Oct 2009 11:27:14 -0400, Jeffrey Bloss wrote : > On Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:15:37 +0100, hummingbird wrote: > > > The person who hosts the PL ISO downloads (»Q«) should be in > > possession of ALL permissions to distribute any freeware program. > > In some cases this is included in the licence, others require > > explicit approval from the authors, who may impose conditions. > > »Q« does not have these permissions and is therefore hosting the > > ISOs unlawfully. It's as simple as that. > > To add, it is ethically incumbent on the Pricelessware goons to make > those permissions available for public viewing. Isn't freeware for the > public use (with limitations as imposed by each author)? > > There is only one reason why the goons have not and *will* not perform > this mandatory action. > > *They don't have the permissions* Well, don't blame me. Where were you at 11:38am last Thursday morning? I think we should be told. At that exact moment I was pressing the mute button on my televison. I have witnesses and irrefutable evidence to suport this. So I'm innocent, ok? -- _?_ Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. (@ @) Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. -oOO-(_)--OOo-------------------------------[ Groucho Marx ]-- grok! Devoted Microsoft User
From: Jeffrey Bloss on 4 Oct 2009 11:36
If you took the collective time, resources, off ACF emails, endless voting, etc and if they applied as little as 10% of this rather humongous effort to the posting of author's permissions for public viewing, the goons could debunk this so-called "lie" rather quickly. What do we learn from that? They don't have the permissions. On Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:50:14 +0100, hummingbird wrote: > Thanks, that's an excellent portrayal of what Pricelessware is all > about neatly captured in one post. Doubtless the PWH people will > deny everything and create their usual diversions to avoid dealing > with the serious issues on hand <sigh>. > > 'whistleblower' wrote thus: > >> --The Great $Pricelessware $Racket-- >> >> This is the story of Pricelessware which you won't find >> on the Pricelessware website: www.pricelesswarehome.org >> ___________________________________________________________ >> >> Executive Summary: >> >> The owners and supporters of the Pricelesswarehome website are >> accused of abusing the alt.comp.freeware newsgroup by using it >> as their debating forum for private website business affairs and >> of trying to dominate and control the unmoderated ACF newsgroup >> by attacking anybody who speaks out against Pricelessware on ACF. >> Smear campaigns, false allegations and intimidation are the tactic. >> Some PWH Cultists are suspected of unlawfully selling 700MB CDs >> of free software for personal profit and of otherwise making >> ISOs available for others to download/burn and sell. >> >> >> Here's the full scoop. A story of a coup de'tat, netkopping, >> hate campaigns, probable unlawful selling of freeware and >> cultist behaviour, akin to any other political/religious cult. >> >> >>1.Abuse of alt.comp.freeware by Pricelessware Cult: >>___________________________________________________ >> >>history..... >> The Pricelessware.org (PW) website was started in year 2000 >> by a few well-meaning people who posted on alt.comp.freeware >> (ACF) about freeware. Their original aim was honourable, >> namely, to produce a list of freeware programs to reduce the >> number of regular requests by people who posted on ACF asking: >> "I want a program to do X, Y or Z". These people could easily >> be pointed to the Big List, as it was then called. >> >> But most of the original people involved have long gone and >> control of the PWH website was taken over by a different >> group of people with bigger aims. Some have bloated egos, >> others are control freaks who like to play fascist netkop >> and moderators of an unmoderated newsgroup, others saw $$$ >> in freeware. PWH Cultists are nasty people filled with hate. >> >> Susan Bugher has an ego bigger than a hot air balloon >> and led the coup de'tat 5 years ago against the incumbent >> webmaster and she then became the new PWH webmaster. >> Soon after she took control, Bugher created the new >> Pricelesswarehome.org website (PWH) as the ousted webmaster >> refused to hand over the original Pricelessware.org domain. >> _____________________________________________________________ >> Susan Bugher's announcement of her coup victory July 1, 2004: >> >> "My position as webmaster and point person for alt.comp.freeware >> was ratified recently by alt.comp.freeware newsgroup participants >> when they supported my request to move the Pricelessware List web >> site." >>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.comp.freeware/msg/521900774efb7511 >> _________________________________________________________________ >> >> Note how Susan Bugher described herself as >> "point person for alt.comp.freeware". >> >> Under Susan Bugher, one aim of the new regime was to remove >> the seperate identities of PWH and ACF by giving a clear >> impression to the outside world that ACF and PWH website >> were merged into two sides of the same coin: ACF being the >> place where regular PWH business was conducted for later >> inclusion on the PWH website. Anyone reading the PWH >> website during Bugher's era could not avoid the inescapable >> conclusion that ACF was a subsidiary of the PWH website, and >> that Susan Bugher ruled as the 'High Priestess of Freeware'. >> >> Further, the website gave the strong impression that most all >> posters on ACF were actively involved in debating and voting >> on PWH issues. This has always been a blatant deception, as >> it is only a minority of people over (say) a 12 month period. >> To keep PWH uppermost in peoples' minds, regular threads >> and votes were started by Bugher to agree this or that and >> anybody who dissented was simply ignored. That has been the >> pattern of PWH Cult behaviour on ACF for years. >> >> Thus, PWH has no debating forum attached to its website but >> it is stuffed full of ACF information, including ACF posting >> guidance, (the wrongly named) ACF Glossary, all carefully >> dressed up to support the 'two-sides-of-the-same-coin' aim. >> >> In the process of expansion, the PWH website adopted the >> appearance of a dog's breakfast. >> >> Susan Bugher was mostly responsible for all that but had >> ACF support from Ron May and other minions who rarely or >> never post onto ACF about freeware, and therefore add no >> value to the newsgroup. >> >> She developed a PWH Cult 'following' and in the eyes of >> her mindless minions, she could do no wrong. Anybody who >> dared to say "boo" to Susan Bugher was immediately attacked >> by her minions, who would appear out of nowhere to protect >> her and abuse dissenters. >> >> Obviously, her expanionist strategy resulted in ACF being >> regularly smothered with PWH business activities which have >> nothing to do with ACF. >> >> Further, each year PWH goes through a laborious process of >> nominating and voting for its latest "Pricelessware List" >> (PL), which is presented as the "Best of The Best" in freeware. >> Although some good programs are included, in actuality it is >> little more than a "Favourites List", mostly nominated and >> voted for by non-ACF regulars. >> Constructive suggestions by non-PWH groupies about how the >> PL could be enhanced have been completely ignored, probably >> because the PWH groupies fear it might devalue the PL.CD >> that gets produced for 'FREE' distribution (see below). >> >> A mere 46 people took part in the PL 2008 process and only >> a handful of those involved ever post on ACF about freeware. >> IOW they are not ACF freeware people, but PWH groupies and >> obviously keen to get their favourite programs onto the PL. >> One example is iNcReDuLoUs but there are others including REM, >> the appointed 'PWH Manager'. (NB: REM was recently exposed for >> posting abuse to a dissenter by using sockpuppets to hide his >> identity! Several other PWH groupies are known or suspected >> of playing similar tricks, eg Franklin is a mass sockpuppeteer.) >> >> Ron May was personally responsible for rigging a vote last >> year to get the PWH Glossary named as the ACF Glossary. >> Attempts by non-PWH people to get this sorted out were ignored >> by Ron May, Susan Bugher, Craig and others, who regularly refer >> to the fake ACF Glossary as though it is the de facto Freeware >> standard and should be used on ACF. It is not and most ACF >> people will decide for themselves whether a particular >> freeware program is 'nagware', 'donationware' or whateverware >> without Pricelessware groupies dictating to them. >> >> The PWH crowd have long justified their use and abuse of ACF >> by claiming that "PWH is owned and controlled by the people >> who post on ACF". This is clearly untrue because requests >> and comments about PWH from non-members of the PWH Cult are >> ignored. In fact Ron May has all dissenters, and anybody who >> disagrees with him about anything, killfiled, and claims not >> to see their posts. He conducts character assassination and >> innuendo hate campaigns against them from the cowardly hiding >> place behind his killfile. >> He is fond of sending abuse reports (LARTS) to newsserver >> admins to get dissenters' posting accounts closed. This is >> blatantly done to silence those who expose the PWH Racket. >> >> Countless requests to the PWH crowd by numerous people on ACF >> to move their private website business affairs to another >> forum have all been ignored, using the false aforementioned >> tactic "PWH is owned by ACF...". A few years ago a dissenter >> created a new newsgroup <alt.comp.pricelessware> exclusively >> for PWH use, but the PWH crowd ignore it because (presumably) >> it does not have the public visibility of ACF. >> >>present day..... >> Susan Bugher gave notice of stepping down as webmaster effective >> end June 2009 and endless recent threads about electing a new >> webmaster to replace her have dominated the newsgroup for some >> time. >> >> The new webmaster (Craig) was not 'elected' by ACF people >> but mysteriously 'appointed' after being singularly >> nominated by Ron May. One PWH minion actually raised an >> objection to the underhand ploy by Ron May but was ignored >> by him and the rest of the PWH Cult. >> >> Other threads about the PWH website design/page layout have >> also dominated the newsgroup. >> >> None of this is about freeware and ACF is the wrong place >> for PWH website debates. >> >> Ron May is running this year's misuse of ACF for the new PWH >> "PL 2009". No debate about this ever took place on ACF yet he >> claims "PWH is owned and controlled by ACF". hhmmm. How so? >> >> Is it any wonder that people believe there's a Pricelessware Cult >> trying to dominate and control ACF for its own reasons? >> Is it any wonder that people believe there's more to PWH and the >> PL than altruistically producing a list and CD.ISO of freeware >> programs for so-called "FREE" distribution? hhmmm. >> >> All this clearly demonstrates that ACF newsgroup is being >> used as a debating forum by the PWH Cult for their private >> website business. >> >> This is wrong wrong wrong. >> >> >>2.Unlawful Pricelessware freeware ISOs: >>_______________________________________ >> >> When it became known that the person posting as �Q� provides >> Server space to host the PWH/PL CD ISOs for downloading/burning >> and distribution, he was asked to provide material evidence >> that each program on the ISOs is authorised by the author. >> Such information ought to be immediately available. �Q� claimed >> such information probably existed but passed the buck onto a >> person called "vince" who he claims handles all the necessary >> approvals for CD.ISO inclusion. >> Who is "vince"? He is yet another PWH groupie who is virtually >> unknown on ACF and never posts about freeware! IE: he's just >> another PWH groupie who has nothing to do with ACF proper. >> >> When it was pointed out to �Q� that HE hosted the ISOs and >> therefore HE should be in possession of material evidence >> regarding authorisation, he eventually stated that "PWH is >> only 'sort of' owned by ACF" and described the request to >> see the evidence as coming from a k00k, thereby deviously >> sidestepping a perfectly reasonable request to see it. >> >> Let there be no doubt that the reason �Q� cannot provide the >> evidence is that it does not exist, meaning that in some cases >> freeware programs are being unlawfully distributed. Therefore, >> the PWH ISOs are unlawful and people associated with PWH are >> aiding and abetting unlawful copywrite infringement and >> numerous other laws in the United States and elsewhere. >> >> �Q� has not posted much on ACF since being exposed, but at the >> time of writing his Server still hosts unlawful PWH/PL CD.ISOs. >> >> Further, given the amount of 'stick' that PWH people have >> received about their abuse of ACF, it's inconceivable they >> continue with it for altruistic reasons. The obvious >> explanation is that some PWH cultists are themselves SELLING >> freeware CDs and are determined to carry on regardless. Sale >> might be dressed up as a donation or preparation, postage and >> packing costs. In any case, since the ISOs are freely available >> for worldwide download by anyone from �Q�'s server, other >> people are almost certainly downloading/burning and selling >> them for profit. This means that �Q� is knowingly aiding and >> abetting unlawful activities and he cannot disclaim liability. >> >> >>3.List of URLS to download PWH/PL ISOs from �Q�'s server: >>_________________________________________________________ >> >> Pricelessware Website CD.ISOs available for download: >> >> PL2008: >> http://downloads.remarqs.net/pl/PL2008CD1.iso >> http://downloads.remarqs.net/pl/PL2008CD2.iso >> MD5 checksums: >> http://downloads.remarqs.net/pl/PL2008CDs.md5 >> >> >> PL2007: http://downloads.remarqs.net/pl/PL2007CD.iso >> PL2006: http://downloads.remarqs.net/pl/PL2006CD.iso >> PL2005: http://downloads.remarqs.net/pl/PL2005CD.iso >> PL2004: http://downloads.remarqs.net/pl/PL2004CD.iso >> MD5 checksums: >> http://downloads.remarqs.net/pl/PL2004567CDs.md5 >> >> >>4.Summary: >>__________ >> >> a) it is quite likely that someone is going to get caught >> in a trap for selling a PL CD and will be prosecuted under >> law. To avoid this, the PL ISOs need to be removed from >> �Q�'s download server and no more added UNLESS each program >> included is covered by explicit approval from the program >> author. These approvals need to be transparently available. >> >> b) some of the PWH crowd may be subject to formal complaints >> to their ISPs for abusing a Usenet newsgroup to conduct >> private website business on. To avoid this, they need to move >> Pricelessware debates to a new site. >> The easiest place is the (currently unused but existing) >> newsgroup <ALT.COMP.PRICELESSWARE>, but a PWH website forum >> would be an ideal alternative. That is what most other >> website owners do. ACF is the wrong place because it exists >> to debate freeware, not privately owned website business. >> >> >> >>- regards from your friendly whistleblower - :-) >>- 1 September 2009 - -- _?_ Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. (@ @) Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. -oOO-(_)--OOo-------------------------------[ Groucho Marx ]-- grok! Devoted Microsoft User |