b1a0tShowtime at its End?tRokDaZonethpf2s2c07        Showtime at its End?
f1c08             by RokDaZone


c09f4'Dear Sceners: c10 Surfing, new leader of
RamJam,  has  deceided  to  take  back
Showtime  (from  Darkage) and continue
it!!!'

f1c09This      desperate      outcry     by
c08Kaosmaster/Darkage c09 shook  the  IRC on
monday  29.12.97.  It was the start of
making  a  query public, which already
has  swollen  for  some  time  in  the
forefield.  What followed were endless
discussions  and arguments between the
leader  of RamJam and the editing team
of Showtime.

c10A   little  jump  back  into  history.
RamJam   originally  started  Showtime
some  years  ago  (1996?)  and  with a
bimonthly  release, this chartmag soon
was dealt as the thronefollower of c09The
Chartsc10.   Famous  writers  such as c09The
Ripperc10  and alsoc09 Macnoc10 were active for
the magpart ofc08 Showtimec10.  All in all a
very respectable release.

When c09 ACBSc10  the  worldleader of c08RamJam
c10decided  to  leave  the Scene for good
the   groups   fate  and  the  one  of
c08Showtimec10  seemed to be sealed.  No one
expected  anything  but  a  death  for
them.   Yet as Phoenix from the ashes,
c08Showtimec10 arose with a new editing team
(ex-RamJam  members  such asc08 Modemc10 and
c08Kaosmasterc10)  and  despite all negative
critics  in the start and even despite
the   obvious   plagiatrism  from  the
earlier  version,  c08Showtimec10  rose  and
became one of the two most respectable
SceneCharts.

c09I   was  in  the  lucky  but  doubtful
position to be there that day and also
got  invited  into secret IRC-channels
where  the  future  of the publication
would  be  sealed;  and  boy:   It was
short from the end ofc08 Showtimec09.

c10The  situation  was that one organiser
ofc09 RamJamc10 namelyc08 Surfingc10 demanded back
the  rights  on  the c07 Showtimec10 source.
The  interesting  point  about this is
that  while both parties agree inc08 ACBS
c10being the founder of c09Showtimec10,c08 Surfing
c10thinks  that  this automatically mean,
he  still  has the rights on the code,
whilec08  Kaosmasterc10 rather feels that so
much   has   been   changed  from  the
original  that noone has full right so
the  one who has the code may use it -
in this case him.


c07    The Demands of the Predecessor

c09This is what Surfing actually wanted:

c08f4 'Showtime  was born in RamJams hands.
Then  ACBS  gave  it  to  Darkage 'coz
RamJam  neared  to die.  Today Darkage
changes code, graphics and everything.
So  they  can  aswell  change  the mag
name, 'coz it's not Showtime anymore.'

f1c09And   to   Kaosmaster   he   made  the
following proposal:

c08f4 'Showtime  returns to RamJam, you get
the  main(editor).   If  you want, you
can  write with all RamJam support and
peace  (not  with  me).  If not, I let
Zinko   or   Zoltrix   or   others  be
(maineditors).'

f1c10Asked  what  he would do if Kaosmaster
disagrees  in returning to the rebuilt
RamJam,  he said that then RamJam will
start an own Showtime and that Darkage
f4'simply will use the code that is used
in  Showtime and rename it (to another
mag).'

f1c10A  clever  move there.  Showtime is as
popular  as never before under RamJam.
By  taking  it  back, the organiser of
RamJam   hopes  to  profit  from  this
pooularity   and   therefore   gaining
sympathy for his group.

c08Kaosmaster only knew one answer:
f4 'Cazzi  tuoi!' - Fuck you - 'I do not
agree!'

f1c09Now  Vega/RamJam (co-leader of RamJam)
enters the discussion:
f4 'Showtime will die...  R.I.P.'

f1c10Surfing assures Kaosmaster that he has
nothing  against him and thatf4 'I don't
let  die  nothing.   I wanna take back
Showtime.  With or without you!'

f1c08Then Kaosmasters glorious hour came...
f4 'Attention,   please!   I  have  just
phoned  to  ACBS and he told me that I
can keep following with Showtime!'

f1c10 'This is the most lame thing you have
said   so  far.'  Surfing  raged.   'I
talked   with  ACBS,  asshole.   Let's
invite ACBS here, then!'

f1He continues:
f4 'I  told  ya  the choice.  Be back in
RamJam  as  an editor (with all others
support) or...'

f1c08KaosMaster:f4  'Or?'

f1c10Surfing: f4 'Rename it!'

f1c08KaosMaster: f4  'Never!   Surfing is the
dude that let Showtime die!'

f1c10Surfing:f4  'Don't cry.  Pathetic.'

f1c08KaosMaster: f4  'I  will  not  cry.  The
Scene    will    cry,    because    an
insignificative     Scener    stripped
something  away  from  them, as far as
you can understand.'

f1c10Surfing:f4   'Away  from them?  Showtime
and RamJam?  What's this mean?'

f1c08KaosMaster:   f4    'RamJam:       Dead.
Showtime:  Died today.'

f1c10Surfing   starts  to  laugh  and  then
expresses  that  RamJam is not dead at
all   and   that   Showtime   actually
improved   this   very   day  that  it
returned to its old group.


c07            Surfing or Vega

c09Confronted  with the fact that the mag
given  to  Kaosmaster by ACBS, who was
the  father of Showtime, Surfer reacts
emotional:

f4c10 'I  hate that the style changed, code
too,  gfx  too.   So  what's  up  with
Showtime?   I've  told  with  ACBS and
other  real  Showtime  builders (they)
disagree with the new Showtime.'

 'Kaosmaster  lives  for Showtime.  He
acts for ACBS' phonings and other lame
things.'


f1c08So  far it seemed like Surfing is some
kind  of  spoilsport  here  while Vega
staid rather neutral.

f4 'But  then  I  discoverd that all was
moved by Vega,'f1c09 Kaosmaster reveals.

f4c08 'I  mean,  the idea to bring Showtime
to  PC is from Surfing, but the one of
letting Showtime die is from Vega.  In
fact:   31/12/97 I met vega on IRC and
he  was  really angry with surfing and
told  me:   'What an idiot is Surfing.
Btw:   Showtime  must  die.   You made
fame on it' and similar affermations.'

 'When  I  was  in RamJam (and already
pointed  as maineditor of ST), we were
good  friends,  but after the death of
RamJam  (who  knows  why?),  he became
less  friendly,  calling  me  and  all
Darkagers  'lamers'.   After ACBS gave
me   Showtime   it  became  worse  and
worser.   This  also  because one year
ago   -   when  the  first  issue  was
released  under  the  Darkage  label -
Vega  wanted  to make a collaboration.
But  ACBS denied this. c09 He said:  'No!
Coz' if they will fail, they will fail
for  they  own,  and not in the RamJam
name'c08,  but  why  -  after 1.5 years -
does he come here?'

c09f1Whatever  significance the affair has,
it  certainly  was bad for Kaosmasters
motivation.   He knew that if he would
refuse  to  give  away  his production
'there  will  follow wars and wars...'
In  order  to  avoid this he even said
that  he  would  have  no  problems in
giving his Chartmag to RamJam f4'if they
think  that  can  make  a  better job.
(...) It will not be killing it.  I do
not care for fame.'
f1Then  again  he  admits that his heart
still  belongs  to  Showtime  andf4 'not
only  mine,  but all the staff members
are  proud  of  our  work and happy to
give  such a thing to the Scene and we
take  care  of  Showtime  like a small
baby.'


f1c07           How it all ended

c10On  friday  the second January 1998, I
had   the   opportunity   to  talk  to
Kaosmaster  alone.   He  told  me that
first,  Surfing  asked Modem to make a
collaboration  on  Showtime,  'but  we
will never do so.' Then just day after
Surfing  came  on  #amigascne  for the
first time, they met again and Surfing
told   Kaosmaster   that   the  RamJam
organiser  agreed  that Showtime Amiga
shall  stay  in  the hands of Darkage.
On  PC,  however, a new Showtime shall
evolve - under the RamJam label.

In  April  we  asked  Modem for a look
back and this is what he told us.

f4c09 'Me  and  Surfing  are friends, apart
that  small  problem  we meet once (we
live near each other), and we continue
making   Showtime.    Ram  Jam  hasn't
active  coders  now,  so  it  would be
impossible  to  continue  making it at
this  speed..   and  now code is mine,
since I recoded 99% of the source...'

f1c10It  seems  (hopefully) that the crisis
is  over  but has anyone heard about a
PC magazine called Showtime yet?