[sldev] What is the point of firstlook and giving feedback to LL

[Felix Duesenburg]

Sorry for the previous reply which was a little short and did not 
contribute any information. However, I wonder why we have to go through 
this on every other list where you'd think that people ought to know better:

Henri Beauchamp wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:43:37 -0400, Teravus Ovares wrote:
>
>   
>> This seems a bit like a flame if you won't sign the contribution
>> agreement.
>>     
>
> I don't sign the paper they ask because I wish to keep my privacy
> and anonimity, like the French Law "Informatique et Liberté"
> entitles me to do.
>   

French law has no bearing there whatsoever. LL is in California, so the 
law of the state of California and the United States of America applies. 
If one doesn't like it, one doesn't have to deal with American 
companies. This is coming from your neighbour in "Old Europe", Germany, 
where we have a similar stance on certain issues.

> I don't see why I would give away my mailing address and phone
> number to LL just for seeing them use my contributions.
>   

You never ordered anything, did you? They would need your mailing 
address to get the stuff to you. You never signed any kind of contract? 
They'd need your address and birthdate to identify you, even in France. 
You never registered a domain? There your address and phone number are 
public for everyone doing a whois lookup. Even if you use a domain by 
proxy service, you just give your address to /them/ instead on their 
promise not to hand it out. Along with your credit card details. You 
have to opt out of society altogether, be a hermit living in a cave to 
avoid any of this.

A joint copyright agreement or any legal agreement at all can only be 
forged between parties that identify themselves. You know LL's address, 
they gets yours.

> SL is a game, nothing more for me. I don't intend to give away
> things that I keep private in real life (like my phone number,
> which is on a "red list", i.e. never published anywhere and
> that no company can ever access from a database) for just a game.
>
>   

Just a game? I was under the impression that in this place people do 
have a vision.

You don't give out your private phone number to business contacts. Use a 
separate one, even a mobile, so long as it's registered to you and not 
an anonymous throwaway sim card.

> Mind you, in France we do know what the respect of people privacy
> and peace means.
>
>   

Now we could turn this into something, but we're already down to usenet 
niveau.

>> Why complain that they have not applied your patches if you
>> won't follow the project rules?
>>     
>
> I do follow and abide the GPL, and even LL's damned agreement
> (see my previous message about contributions to the JIRA), but
> I won't give away strictly personal and private data to an
> Internet-based company for it, sorry.
>   

What are you sorry for other than your work that's going to the 
wastebin. Who cares for the many standards that anyone abides by. To get 
your patches accepted you gotta sign the damn sheet, and that won't 
change after the umpteenth rant.

> Remember when LL got the Residents' credit card data stollen ?
>   

Aargh. You know what? I don't have a credit card. Maybe it's better to 
not have anything at all. They stole my bicycle and smashed the windows 
of my car to take a bottle of lubricant and a stuffed squirrel, plus the 
license plates.

> Well, call me paranoid, but I never trust Internet-based companies
> for keeping private data safe, and I trust them even less as to
> what they could do later themselves with this private data.
>   

They could visit you at your home and haunt you.
> 'nuff said.
>   

Whenever someone says that I brace myself for another flush.
> Henri.
>   

If you're still reading, I'd like to say I'm puzzled that we're having 
such vibes here on a public list. Your work is good and very welcome. 
What's the problem, man, is it pride? Said it before that programmers 
are a proud bunch with egos sometimes as big as cathedrals, yours truly 
no exception. But it's so silly to let that get in your way to fame and 
recognition - which would be to have one of your patches go into the 
official release and your name listed under the contributors in the 
'About' dialog. If you want more than that, or if you're worried about 
your /free/ contribution resulting in an advantage for someone else, 
you're in the wrong place.

Peace,

Felix