From: muta...@gmail.com   
      
   On Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 12:54:36 AM UTC+8, Dan Cross wrote:   
      
   > >You're apparently one of those above people I mentioned    
   > >who are too stupid to see the problem.   
      
   > You should dust off your copy of, "How to Win Friends and    
   > Influence People."   
      
   Or you can stop being a dickhead.   
      
   I prefer the latter solution.   
      
   > >There is now a public domain base to work from instead    
   > >of being tied to someone's virus license.   
      
   > The ISC license has existed for years and is not "viral" in the    
   > way you describe.   
      
   Again - while ever they are holding something back, that's   
   just more sand.   
      
   > >Um, yes. Building a solid foundation is important.   
      
   > PDOS is not a solid foundation for anything. It's a hobbyist    
   > toy.   
      
   It is solid in the fact that it is public domain.   
      
   That's the solid foundation that is required.   
      
   Progress on the public domain front is indeed what you   
   call a "toy".   
      
   But that's the limit of the actual foundation of the   
   computer industry.   
      
   The other public domain offerings are impractical for   
   reasons I already outlined.   
      
   > >Instead of having the entire world of computers built    
   > >on sand.   
      
   > Guy who doesn't understand how the x86 stack pointer works says    
   > what, now?   
      
   Says I have a working operating system that is public domain.   
   And that is the required foundation.   
      
   > >Even the mainframe is built on sand. IBM can jack up    
   > >the price of z/OS 70-fold tomorrow (like was done with    
   > >some medicine some years back), and the entire world    
   > >has to just suck it up. There is literally no alternative.   
      
   > Yes there is. You aren't aware of them, because you're not    
   > very well informed, but they exist.   
      
   That support the MVS API? CMS exists, also from IBM.   
      
   MUSIC/SP does to some extent. Is that what you are   
   referring to?   
      
   > >z/PDOS is providing a backstop,   
      
   > No it's not.   
      
   Yes, it is.   
      
   It may never actually be used as that backstop, but it is   
   being created regardless.   
      
   It is within IBM's power to simply refuse to sell z/OS and   
   watch the world burn.   
      
   They are unlikely to do that, and they are also unlikely to   
   suddenly jack the price up 70-fold.   
      
   So the backstop will probably not be exercised.   
      
   But maybe IBM will decide that some country pisses   
   them off (Russia would be one example), and suddenly   
   yank the licenses.   
      
   It might be difficult to do a country, because the country   
   can just change the copyright laws - which I think is   
   exactly what Russia did.   
      
   But IBM can target a company it doesn't like instead.   
      
   I don't know exactly what they can or may do.   
      
   I don't think anyone expected the cost of their medicine   
   to go up 70-fold overnight either. But it was always a   
   possibility.   
      
   > >so at least that much    
   > >is secure, but that's not a lot. But it's not zero like before    
   > >either.   
      
   > PDOS is a toy.   
      
   A toy is the only actual foundation we have.   
      
   > >> *Plonk*    
   > >    
   > >Another person who can't stand the free marketplace of ideas.   
      
   > Nah, I'm just at a point where I've realized that life is too    
   > short to indulge know-nothing kooks with delusions of grandeur    
   > on USENET.   
      
   I always make time to put down slimy bastards peddling   
   virus licenses and insisting that the computer industry is   
   just fine and doesn't need a backstop.   
      
   BFN. Paul.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)