Attached Link: http://www.sparkchaser.net/blather/penglatest.html

I hope this doesn't mean you'll vanish never to be heard of again?

Far from it, but I'll have to stay clear of controversies and such - and time will be at a premium if the inklings I got so far of upcoming projects are any indication. (no, not tellin' :) )

/P

Message edited on: 06/02/2005 13:43

Good blather, Peng. I hope everything goes great for you at DAZ.

yep...good luck at DAZ... it will be a cold day in hell when my employer will dictate my speech, however...fired or not...and i know that companies are firing employees for their web sites, blogs, and so forth. The employers ought to be sent to prison. but I truly understand your dilemma. however, as someone who obviously has a lot to say and isn't afraid of a bit of controversy, I'm surprised at your choice here.....

Good luck at DAZ! I am surprised by your choice as well. However, even those with opinions must eat. As for your justification as to why 'open source' program code is good, but 'open source' .obj code is not, it is my opinion that your association with DAZ has already warped your sense of logic. I for one HATE the RTE and Mover file coversion, and seldom use figures, etc. that require them. I also remember well the SPIRIT of the original poserforum.com, which was to keep sharing Poser related items for free. What a dream that was! Especially compared to the nightmare created by the love and quest for a dollar that this place has created. (Again, just my opinion!) Anyway, I hope the best for you at DAZ, and expect to see some great things come out of what you have to contribute there. They are lucky to have gotten you!

Well, good luck at DAZ, Tom. I know we've had our disagreements, but I understand the need to compromise when one needs to put food on the table and pay the bills. Tis a shame we will not be able to continue the verbal sparring. Luckily there is a few "last things" we can disagree on :) I find your justification for "one rule for code, one rule for data" strange and (like others) can only assume that somewhere your logic has been warped by commercial influences. In the open source code world - one can always send "diff patches" to alter code (like one can use RTE or OBJMover for Poser files). However, that ability doesn't stop you from being able to distribute the entire file at will. THAT to me is open source :) As for Sixus1 being taken for a ride - I simply do not see how this is possible. Think what you might about eFrontier/CL and Zygote, but as you yourself mentioned - Sixus1 was going to release these guys for free regardless of their actions. They were in the process of it well before Zygote & eFrontier even thought about releasing their figures. As such, I ask - what has changed? The figures are released as before. The license has not changed in it's intent (it is still "BSD-like" in the rights it gives you). The only change I can see is the fact that the figures were delayed a little to help Zygote & eFrontiers release theirs in tandem. Last but not least - there is your comment regarding the fact that Zygote should check the legality of the release with DAZ. I find this laughable in the extreme. Both Zygote & DAZ have copies of the contracts they agreed to. If Zygote's lawyers find that they have the right to release their figures - why should they ask DAZ? I know from experience that companies will lie about contracts and the law if they think it will prevent competition from undertaking certian actions. DAZ may not be one of those companies, but from your take of Zygote's point of view - DAZ are the competition. Why should they ask that competition what they can and cannot do when they can already afford competent legal advice (& representation should it come to that)? Contracts should be written so both sides can know with clarity what they can and cannot do. Assuming both DAZ & Zygote have competent lawyers - they both know the boundaries of whatever agreements they have made. They should not need to consult one another about it. To be upfront on things - I have helped Sixus1 Media with code related things before. I haven't made a dollar off of or with them to date, but have helped out with things like scripts and web management. Oh, and I am really going to miss debating Pengy in public forums :)

"and i know that companies are firing employees for their web sites, blogs, and so forth. The employers ought to be sent to prison."

As long as an employee keeps it clean no problem but no employee of mine will put my business out in the street and still expect me to pay them for it.

One thing I would like to make clear up front: The decision to step back and transfer Sparkchaser to Spinner was mine, and not Dan Farr's, not Chris Creek's, and not Steve Kondris' (...though as DAZ' PR guy, I think Steve did breathe a visible sigh of relief when I told them I was (evil grin.) ) The reasons why? They're already apparent in this very thread to some extent, with accusations of being "warped" and "influenced." Now how on Earth could I credibly write an opinion about CL/EF, Zygote, Rendo, or (especially) DAZ without getting the same casual dismissals from either pro or con? Kendra put it best about the reasons to keep out of blogging about DAZ and its competition, however: "As long as an employee keeps it clean no problem but no employee of mine will put my business out in the street and still expect me to pay them for it." I can blog about anything, but I happen to do it about the 3D/CG hobbyist biz. Now, working for a major player in the same biz...? Think about it, folks. Half of the planet would think I was doing it as part of services rendered to DAZ, the other half would think that while prolly self-maintained, my opinions would have been colored heavily by the source of my paycheck. In either case, it would be a hopless endeavor, and I don't want to see Sparkchaser mired in any of that. That's why I decided to ask Spinner to head it up. I want to see it continue to make people think, to make store and community PTBs (yes, including the ones I work with) to stay on their toes and stay honest... and Sparkchaser as a site can't do that if it is seen as Dan Farr's mouthpiece. So for the site's sake, and Poserdom's, I have to step back from it. /P PS to Eternl Knight: I merely suggested that Zygote should at least try to get DAZ to agree, so as to save themselves potential legal headaches later on (like I said, I don't know what's in the contracts.) And yes, they both have copies of the same contract, but that hasn't stopped companies from suing the crap out of each other in spite of the same condition since the dawn of time. Ask any lawyer, and the answer is the same: It's all in the interpretation. Never hurts to try, and it shows good faith effort on Zygote's part, as well as insulation from any further snarls later on down the road.

I am glad that I don't do this to receive a paycheck.

For me, my work-a-day experience and my 3D hobby occur on two different planets.

The people that I work with aren't aware that a program called Poser exists. Nor would they care if they did. In fact, they'd regard it as an incredible waste of both time and money.

But they spend $$$ on things like woodworking equipment/stereos/hunting equipment.

shrug

We all need to do something for fun.

The operative word here being "fun". Which -- to some of us -- is what our 3D obsession is all about.

The daily Poser drama is merely a mildly distracting sideshow. Sort of like a TV set up on a bracket -- playing in the background in a crowded restaurant. I'll glance up at the screen once in a while. Maybe even watch for a minute or two.

And then I'll go back to the things in front of me.

Man.......am I glad that I don't do this for a living.

whew

And believe me, that opinion conflicts heavily with the very opinionated blogger in me.
It's not easy being rational sometimes. :)