by Chris Billowsin Hobby Heedings0 commentstags: Software Ethics
Abandonware is the distribution of computer games and other software that is no longer sold or supported, or whose ownership may be unclear for various reasons (company closed or merged). In the beginning of the World Wide Web, there was a debate that considered Abandonware the same as piracy. In my opinion, Abandonware is a good thing and I believe it is possible to come out firmly in favor of Abandonware but totally against Piracy. First of all, Abandonware is illegal. According to copyright legislation, a copy of any creative work requires the consent of the creator or owner. Abandonware goes against these laws by distributing computer games that for the most part no consent was given. Participating in abandonware is to break copyright laws. The problem is that people confuse software Piracy with Abandonware. Piracy is automatically illegal because the distribution of the software is done without the consent of the creator or owner. Just because both are illegal does not mean they are the same thing. It all comes down to intention of the lawbreaker and who is the the target or victim of the crime. What are the intentions of an Abandoneer (my definition of a person […]
by Chris Billowsin Hobby Heedings0 commentstags: eBook, Games Analysis
One of my favorite pastimes is computer & video gaming. I have been an avid gamer since 1977. I vividly remember getting my first home Pong system and soon after getting the Atari VCS. I also frequented the local arcade and eventually came to enjoy the more complex and strategic games found on computers. The enjoyment and the potential of the medium has stuck with me and it has inspired me to launch my own game company Promaginy. It also prompted me to self-publish an eBook called the Evolution of Computer Games. It was a humble attempt to analyze and not just track the lineal development of computer games. You are welcome to freely download the eBook here: Evolution of Computer Games 2nd Edition Evolution of Computer Games 1st Edition (kept for posterity)
by Chris Billowsin Business Beller, Hobby Heedings0 commentstags: Blogging, Introduction
I’ve finally arrived to WordPress, an amazing free platform to do self-journal-ling online or what is called blogging (shortened from weblogging). I thought it would be neat to share a little bit of how I got here. In 1995 a family member setup an Internet Service Provider and I was one of his first customers. I developed my first website back in 1995 called The Digital Tree. It was an eclectic mix of interests combining interest in politics, spirituality, video games, etc. I expanded this website to allow for some political action ventures including the Green Party of Manitoba and Canadians for Proportional Representation. In 2000 I became more involved with politics and created a book that made the striking case that Canada’s First Past the Post elections are twisting voting intentions. I wrote and self-published an ebook called Polls, Parties, and Power that measured elections across the Canadian federation. This was captured in Beacon Publishing, a personal venture that attempted to also do some affiliate marketing as a sideline. My interest in politics waned as my idealistic notions ran up against stark realities. My lack of patience ushered me out of the political arena. This lead to […]
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