I just downloaded the Poser 4.03 Updater. It came as an .exe file 11600 Kbytes long. What is in it? What do I do with it? Winzip refuses to unpack it. I can't find a readme file in it or with it. Is it safe to install it over Poser 4.02?

Anthony- There's is no reason to install 4.03 over 4.02, it has no bug fixes nor new features. All it does is add the Curious Labs logo/branding information and enable some mysterious Serial number checking which may open a port to the internet. You can install it over 4.02, though it may complain about files on your HD being newer, but I would hold off until Larry makes a statement about this internet thing. Regards- Lemurtek

A TRACKING thing?I HOPE NOT!If Curious Labs did that,they should be PUT OUT OF BUSINESS.If not,then nobody should start those rumors.SO what is the DEAL CURIOUS LABS?And a Trojan Horse?What is that?It don't SOUND too good. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Trojan Horse was used once a long time ago to infiltrate and defeat in battle with, the soldiers would hide inside it and the HORSE acted like a BIG gift to the enemy, once inside the gate the soldiers would sneak out and take over from right inside the fortress. Thus, now certain viruses are termed trojan horses, since they are usually in the form of some enticing download or add-on to something, and then you find out that this enticing item was only so disguised to let the virus into your computer to wreck havoc. Cruel, intentional and unforgivable! If Curious Labs did have something to do with this, and I stress the word "DID", cause no one seems sure of anything yet it seems, then they got a LOT of explaining to do BIG time!!! Stay away from it till someone finds out the truth ;-)

I must admit, I am very dissapointed to have found out about this. Even, as they claim, if it is just to check that there is only one copy running acrossa LAN, there are two important questions they need to answer 1. Why is it attempting to access the Internet 2. Why was there no information about this on their site so we could choose whether to install the update or not. Paul

I have a friend who contacted Curious Labs about this thing. According to the friend, Curious Labs did in fact put the serial number checker to check wether or not there were more than one instance of the same serial number in use at the same time (provided more than one user is on the internet when using the program). Still waiting on more info promised. They also said they are looking into any problems that it may be causing but haven't found any "problem" so far. Well I for one sure do have a "problem" with it since I wasn't told the truth up front.

I don't really mind if Curious Labs wants to prevent their software from being pirated and this is a good way to accomplish that. What I would expect from them is to inform me of their intent to access the internet on the account I pay for and not just assume it to be theirs for the using. Had I been told up front this was there, I would then be responsible for the added use of my dial-up and everything would be okay. Perhaps I can now charge them for a portion of my monthly internet rates.

Larry Weinberg has much good work getting Poser working and debugged for all of us to make pretty pictures with, so please tone down the verbiage and the flamage and the napalmiage. People installing onto several computers from one single-licence set of floppies have been a plague since PC's started and when such things as Word Perfect 5 for DOS were the latest thing. But I admit that they should have told us about this feature in case it clashed with any other software that was on the PC. Well, they have admitted it, and we know it now. So can we leave it?

We don't really know if C.L. is being truthful in their explaination since we have no basis of "truthfulness" in the past. Someone told me they suspected that they were finding meshes that hadn't been copywrited so they could get them patented and sell them out from under the creator. There is no substantial proof to this allegation so we'll just have to wait for the experts to finish tracking it's background activities until they furnish us with the answers we all need. (and my name isn't Ed)

I'm not flaming anyone and I totally agree that L.W.'s work is great and he's been doing a terrific job at helping everyone in the community. It's not illegal to install a program to more than one system as long as they aren't both running it at the same time. I own several machines and I have the same software on both of them. As long as I only run it on one machine at a time I am breaking no laws. It totally keeps me from having to de-install and re-install.

The thing that I find strange here is that Curious Labs has yet to come forward and tell it's customers what is going on. Their silence on this only serves to further the perception that they got caught with their fingers in the cookie jar. Back in the MC days they used to monitor all the Poser related sites/lists and jump in very quickly when us natives started getting restless. I miss that. Buck

Part of the problem concerning the lack of reply to this is the fact that most of the CL people are at Siggraph. Paul

I am happy that Curious Labs picked up Poser and will continue development. And LW's work on the Poser upgrades has been wonderful, and added features are appreciated. BUT... I believe that legally, they must inform you that they are transferring information from your computer. However, since the serial number technically belongs to them, there is sort of a gray area. However, I think a class action lawsuit would still find them guilty of using the host system's resources illegally. Theft of Service, Breaking and Entering (into a computer system) are just a few of the normal charges they throw at companies who engage in this type of practice. Personally, I will NOT buy the next Poser version unless I hear a statement from Curious Labs about this whole situation and it had better include an apology for trying to pull a fast one on us. As far as the other allegations: Whenever something like this happens, the conspiracy theory advocates come out of the woodwork and make all type of accusations. Let's wait until the people who have the neccessary equipment and software can track exactly what information has been getting transferred.

I have a favor to ask will all of you who have installed the latest patch check all your fish. 95% of my fish had the .rsr corrupted( their head was above the body) Thanks, Marge

Other threads on this same subject: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=12360&Form.ShowMessage=145688 http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=12356&Form.ShowMessage=145867&Reply=146095#26 http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=12356&Form.ShowMessage=145150 http://www.poserforum.net/ubb/Forum12/HTML/001402.html

Jack and I have just finished speaking with Steve Cooper from CL who was kind enough to call and fill us in regarding their end and what is going on. So, please everyone, stay tuned.... ed

How odd, I sent emails to them asking what was going on and got zip. Only a tech who asked me what OS I was using and that he didn't have this problem, would I care to give him more info. They should get back to their customers, not pick someone as a spokesperson. What if, for some reason, I didn't come back in here, does that mean I would never get an answer to my question?

Okay. Sometimes, not always, when I fire up Poser ZoneAlarm requests permission to allow Poser to use the internet. When I allowed it I also monitored the 'phone line. My computer made NO attempt to connect to the net. So it is likely that something in the way I set up ZoneAlarm, or perhaps the program itself, is misinterpreting a network check as an internet call. It would have been nice if CL warned us of the check. Nicer still if they didn't assume I was a thief. But then I have an idea of how much warez is used & I've lost count of the number of times I've been asked for a copy of Poser. I suppose in a world gone mad the only recourse for a company is to go mad with it...

It is doing an internal network serial number check. This looks to see that only one copy of Poser is running at any given time with the same serial number. Nothing is sent out over the internet. JeffH found this out 2 days ago and posted it on the Poser Tech email list.

I used to be subscribed to Legume's poser newsgroup. I stayed with the group even when people asked for Poser to be posted. I even stayed when people posted their serial numbers for others to use. But when I saw someone blatently posting the full version of Poser (split into separate files) I decided I wanted no more part of that group and immediately unsubscribed. I know Legume has stated in posts that he doesn't want to censor what gets posted and he's welcome to take that stance. Because that stance allows people to pirate I didn't feel my presence to the group was needed any more and left.

edriver, although your post has nothing to do with the current thread & the good Dr. Legume certainly doesn't need me to speak in his defense, I'm afraid you don't understand how usenet works. A.B.3D.P is an unmoderated group. This means that no one has the ability to cancel posts or determine what gets posted. Unless you have access to the newsserver itself the only way posts can be deleted is by the original poster. Now admittedly the vox populi/FAQ/charter can have some influence but if a poster is either thick-skinned or dense enough to ignore those, there is little anyone can do other than complain to the miscreants' ISP in hopes of getting their net access terminated. I certainly am not arrogant enough to even think to tell you "go" or "stay" but by hauling out your righteous indignation & leaving in a huff, all you've managed to accomplish is cutting off the people in a.b.3d.p from the help & guidance you may have been able to give them & depriving yourself of a valueable resource. And I guarantee you the "warez kitty" who attempted to post Poser to the group didn't lose a minutes' sleep over it.

Re: Curious Lab Will be Making an announcement by edarsenal on 07/31 14:49 Jack and I have just finished speaking with Steve Cooper from CL who was kind enough to call and fill us in regarding their end and what is going on. So, please everyone, stay tuned....ed I just read this.Since you SPOKE to Curious Labs,then WHAT DID THEY SAY?Why the delay for whatever announcement they are gonna make up?IF they did what everyone is saying,and again I am saying IF,I will find it VERY hard to trust them in the future."Slipping",Trojans in programs WITHOUT telling you is SNEAKY and something UNTRUSTWORTHY people/companies do.I hope Curious Labs did NOT do this.I know you guys here are trying and I am NOT mad at you,I just think this is kinda unethical to NOT let the owners of Poser4 KNOW EXACTLY what is IN a SO CALLED UPDATE.Thanks :)

On the other site...there are rumors that 3D Max is going to put Free Gamers edition of this great product...

SOMEONE snuck into my house and got caught attempting to leave with my right to privacy, not only that but they left the door standing wide open for ANYONE else to do the same, this server, whether anyone wants to admit it or not, opens an unmonitored port onto the Internet that can be exploited by others as a method of entering, i just don't think it is right that whomever designed this TROJAN* {without notifying that it was being installed} did so with NO regard for the security of my/our systems/s... a note for whomever is responsible: PLEASE don't compromise the security of MY system trying to protect YOUR assets... *TROJAN: if it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck, i think its safe to assume it is in fact...a duck

Ya saved me some typing.

just a quick question for all of you did you know that much of the software you use now has a similar "use check" installed? CuteFTP, Fireworks, Flash, (just to name a few)...The downloaded versions of those do have something similar installed... as for CL installing a "password checker" and it "not sending info across the net"...just exactly how will a password checker work if it doesnt send info somewhere? Its not very logical for anyone to say it does not send info...at the very least it would have to send the user IP (or computer name...which could include the windows pw) and the Poser password and the time (from your computer)..at the most (without being really harmful) it could send your name, what programs you have installed, and perhaps some other habits. I personally will NOT upgrade to this 4.03 nor will I buy the next version of Poser. I dont care what excuse they offer (read offer as "make up")...but thats just my opinion. Its my computer and if I dont want people to know whats on it..then its my choice! not some program or company! companies think its ok and justified to send out info from your computer...I pay my internet connection..NOT THEM! I bought this computer...NOT THEM! and I can choose to support a company if they try to do such to me...NOT THEM!..and I choose not to. ok..so that was more than .02...we'll call that .10 ;) sorry to hear this all tho, Im not an avid poser user, but I have bought every version since it first came out...I guess I'll miss 5.0. I certainly hope that Corel doesnt try such with its update thats due out soon for Bryce... sigh BT