Re: selective gateways

[mouse () collatz mcrcim mcgill edu (der Mouse)]

> if you have a BSD-like system and are using it as a packet-forwarding
> router between your internal net and the internet, you can probably
> get "screend" to work on it.

[with an incorrect FTP location - the file name was not correct; the
actual filename has a date portion in it]

> there are some restrictions about commercial redistribution, but none
> whatever on noncommercial redistribution and none on use of any kind.
> there's no cost involved with running screend.

Go read the license again.

| Users of this software agree to the terms and conditions set forth herein,
| and hereby grant back to Digital a non-exclusive, unrestricted, royalty-
| free right and license under any changes, enhancements or extensions 
| made to the core functions of the software, including but not limited to 
| those affording compatibility with other hardware or software 
| environments, but excluding applications which incorporate this software.
| Users further agree to use their best efforts to return to Digital any
| such changes, enhancements or extensions that they make and inform Digital
| of noteworthy uses of this software.  Correspondence should be provided
| to Digital at:
...and a *postal* address!

This means that if I want to run screend on any system that isn't
simply drop-in, or if I want to change it for any reason, I have to
somehow encode the changes in a way that can be sent through the postal
system and pay, both in postage and in hassle, to get them there.

It also gives no indication of what "noteworthy" means, which means
that if I run it at all, I have to at least write to determine whether
Digital feels my use of the software is noteworthy.

This is ridiculous.  I'd rather implement it myself first, to save
myself (and probably others) the hassle.  (And from reading the
screen.2 and screend.8 man pages, I could probably do it in a weekend
or two at the most.)

I've thrown away my copy of screend, and will not have anything further
to do with it unless and until I have some indication that the license
isn't so silly.

                                        der Mouse

                            mouse () collatz mcrcim mcgill edu