Article 25 of comp.sys.amiga.announce: Path: leela!orstcs!ogicse!hp-cv!sdd.hp.com!caen!uunet!cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!ucdavis!toadflax.cs From: jpotter@ucs.adelaide.edu.au (Jonathan Potter) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.announce Subject: WARNING!! Pirated escaped Directory Opus 3.50 BETA damages disks Message-ID: <15647@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> Date: 30 Jul 92 08:35:05 GMT Article-I.D.: ucdavis.15647 Sender: usenet@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu Reply-To: jpotter@ucs.adelaide.edu.au (Jonathan Potter) Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.misc Organization: INOVAtronics Lines: 48 Approved: zerkle@cs.ucdavis.edu Over the past 6 weeks or so a pirated version of Directory Opus 3.50 has been spread around the world. This is an "escaped" BETA version that was released by an indiscreet beta-tester. The offender has not been pinpointed yet but I expect him/her to be identified soon, and legal action may be taken against them. The above notwithstanding, the version of 3.50 circulating contains many bugs and several routines that are unfinished. This is the nature of beta copies. Unfortunately, the version does not actually say it is a beta-copy, a mistake I now regret. The bugs, which I am not going to list here, range from mild to serious ones. Several beta-testers have suffered hard drive damage and data loss due to the more serious ones (sorry guys :-), and the program is generally unstable in many areas. Therefore, if you obtain a copy of this version of Directory Opus, for your own sake don't use it. I don't want the program to develop a bad reputation because of the misbehaviour of an unfinished version. The legitimate version 3.50 (which will probably not be called that now) is expected to be released sometime in August or September. It will contain many new features over and above those in the pirated version 3.50. All registered users will be notified when the new version is ready. Needless to say I am unhappy about what has occurred. If you can't trust your beta testers who can you trust? People who spread pirated software (especially unfinished versions) can be totally blamed for the low number of high quality programs available for the Amiga. I have become generally disillusioned with the whole business, and am myself seriously considering moving to an IBM or Unix platform after the next version of Directory Opus is finished. The moral of the story I guess is to trust no-one. But everyone else, please, if you come across Directory Opus 3.50, don't copy it. And encourage the person who offers it to you to delete it himself. Otherwise, the Amiga's already small number of developers may decrease by one more. Jonathan Potter / INOVAtronics -- | Jonathan Potter | | A | | P.O. Box 289 | jpotter@itd.adelaide.edu.au | Suffusion | | Goodwood, SA | FidoNet : 3:680/829 | Of | | Australia 5034 | | Yellow | -- Please see monthly postings for the disclaimer, the introduction, the charter, and submission instructions. Comments to zerkle@cs.ucdavis.edu. MAIL ALL SUBMISSIONS TO announce@cs.ucdavis.edu (don't auto-post). Article 32 of comp.sys.amiga.announce: Path: leela!orstcs!orstnews!umn.edu!noc.msc.net!uc.msc.edu!mips!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!ucdavis!toadflax.cs From: jpotter@itd.adelaide.edu.au (Jonathan Potter) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.announce Subject: Directory Opus 3.51 is also bogus Message-ID: <16028@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> Date: 10 Aug 92 08:19:12 GMT Sender: usenet@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu Reply-To: jpotter@itd.adelaide.edu.au (Jonathan Potter) Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.misc Lines: 24 Approved: zerkle@cs.ucdavis.edu [ Note: A recent post noted that version 3.50 beta of Directory ] [ Opus seems to have been "accidentally" released, presumably by ] [ and unscrupulous beta tester. This, being software still being ] [ tested, has bugs and can damage your disk. -Dan ] More Directory Opus woes. I have been informed that there is also a version of Directory Opus going round called 3.51. I would like to publicly announce that this has nothing whatsoever to do with me at all. 3.50 is a legitimate beta version that escaped, but 3.51 has obviously been hacked by some mindless idiot, for what purpose I'm not sure. It is accompanied by a file called the Dorex.library, and version 3.51 of ConfigOpus and DirOpus itself. You should on no accounts even consider running this version; it could be a trojan virus for all I know. Jonathan Potter -- Please see monthly postings for the disclaimer, the introduction, the charter, and submission instructions. Comments to zerkle@cs.ucdavis.edu. MAIL ALL SUBMISSIONS TO announce@cs.ucdavis.edu (don't auto-post).