A long comment onto Ms.Tatiora's post on Stardock Blog

Especially about the "NeXTSTEP" skin made by Mr. John T. Folden

from Stardock Forums

Hello.

 

§0. Preface

This post is my long comment onto Ms.Tatiora's post.

 

The post link it here: 

Tatiora (2021), “Sneak-peek at NEW WindowBlinds skins”, Discussion: Stardock Blog, WinCustomize.com, Thursday, June 3, 2021 

( https://www.wincustomize.com/article/505121/sneak-peek-at-new-windowblinds-skins  ).

 

 

§1. I love Mr.Folden's "NeXTSTEP".

So, I'm really looking forward to seeing your NeXTSTEP Style Skin!

I have used this skin over 20 years on "MS-Windows" since Mar. 2001.

 

★The Classic theme "NeXTSTEP" created by John T. Folden.

 [WinCustomize] ( https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds/460/  ),

  still keeps the description of the first Published Date as "Mar 2, 2001".

 [DeviantArt] ( https://www.deviantart.com/jtfolden/art/NeXTSTEP-18859  ),

  has the Last Updated date as "Dec 29, 2001".

 

★Mr. John T. Folden

　[WinCustomize] https://www.wincustomize.com/users/344/John%20T%20Folden

　[Stardock] https://forums.stardock.com/user/344

　[DeviantArt] https://www.deviantart.com/jtfolden

 

*Note: On almost all his works in DeviantArt,

 downloadable file was deleted or the download URL are not on service.

 

I have also been forking the Skin since 13 years ago.

But, I haven't yet released the forked one in an Public URL.

Coz, Mr.Folden is the original author (developer) of the skin.

 

For my convenience' sake,

I'm treating his works under the License of "GPL",

which is the abbreviation of "GNU General Public License",

or under one of "LGPL" (GNU Lesser General Public License).

 

 On GPL, see here ( https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html ),

 and LGPL ( https://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-3.0.en.html ).

 

But, I haven't planed to release this branch for long years.

I haven't kept the record of all activities on this skin.

 

 

§2. To Ms. Tatiora and Guys in here, Recall your memories.

Probably you, Ms. Tatiora, know that here is the related 

and most newest post to your this post.

　cf. Frogboy "WindowBlinds skin contracting", Stardock Forums, February 8th, 2021, 2:37:08 PM

(https://forums.stardock.com/503649/windowblinds-skin-contracting).

 

The Tatiora's post obviously uses "Folden's NeXTSTEP skin".

 

But, well..., You, guys know the other NeXTSTEP style skin

in "WinCustomize.

It is the "NeXTSTep" by Chris Apers before June 6th, 1999.

Coz, it's the last update was "Jun 02, 1999".

 

★Chris Apers's "NeXTStep"

  https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds/142/

 

"Ms. Tatiora" said “Recently, we've been developing some new skins for WindowBlinds

 and today I get to give you a little sneak peek of what's coming.

 PLEASE NOTE: These are not 100% final and some aspects of these

 may change before they are available”(Tatiora 2021).

 

I don’t know, will she recreate her own “NeXTSTEP” skin from the first as full scratch, with no base of Folden's or Aper's skin, 

or will she just edit one of their skins, 

for the latest version of “WindowBlinds”and "MS-Windows".

 

But, I can see it clearly, that 

you had made "Arrow Navigation Button" Newly by yourself.

 

I repeart, "So, I'm realy looking forward to seeing your NeXTSTEP Style Skin"!

 

 

§3. On the License

For example, 

Mr."Folden" made "Readme.txt" in "NeXTSTEP.wba".

But, he didn’t write any description as License.

When we release some fork or branch project, we should show it at least,

to protect the Feme of original creator and developer.

 

I think many themes and skins for some computer apps, 

which has no any written lisence , are in an gray zone about the lisence.

It's like the same problem within some other "Abandonware"s.

More saying, in the case, which the software was released under the treatment as "Freeware" of "Open source",

someone make branch and update it, 

with an apt explanatory notes about the original author.

 

To release those kind of things, 

as it is obviously other's work, 

under the different one's name, 

to take a certain permission from the original author.

 

If it was technically in some difficulties, 

to show appropriate credits of each authors on their works.  

 

So, on the "NeXTSTEP" skin by Mr.Folden, it is in the difficulty.

 

Mr. Folden take a distance from his works on the Internet for long years.

And His E-mail address (jtfolden@erinet.com) in his works is out of service, 

also for long terms and at the present too.

Besides this, His account on "DeviantArt" won't reply to my message.

I sent message to his "Stardock account" too.

 

In worse case, He just don't like me.

 

So, well You know, Ms.Tatiora,

If you want to update of other's work, 

you should send some message to the original author, at the first.

I believe you had already done it.

Then, I should have not need to say it.

So, please accept my apology.

 

But, for my saying on the "NeXTSTEP" skin, probably,

Mr. Folden haven't noticed my sending messages, among 13 years,

because of his taking the distances from his works.

 

On the URL of "NeXTSTEP" skin on "WinCustomize", 

Mr. Folden replied to the question by "snowleopard77", which is...

"Any Plans on updating this for Windows 7 and Windows 8 ?"

on Monday, December 10, 2012 1:05 PM

( https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds/460/ ).

 

At there and in his reply, Mr. Folden had said 

" Sadly, while I probably still have all the graphic sources,

I ceased using Windows as my promary OS long ago and

no longer have an active subscription to OD...

I'm glad to see there is still some interest though"

(sic erat scriptum, op sit., Tuesday, September 3, 2013 4:49 AM).

 

But, My reading on Her (Tatiora's) posts,

She is working in "Stardock Corporaton".

So, I think that She had already cleared this problem.

 

 

§4. Rewards for the reader on this Post.

I don't use "Winstep".

And for last 5 years, I left "LiteStep".

 

About my controlling the interface design of "MS-Windows",

I' been going back and forth between 

"MsStyle theme(Customized John's "NeXTSTEP" Skin with "UXThemePatcher")" and "Litestep"

since A.D.1998.

 

The reason will be shown later as Appendix.

 

That's why, on every time there is a glitch since A.D.2008,

I have kept on fixing and editing Mr. Folden's "NeXTSTEP" skin.

 

If you, Ms.Tatiora wanna try or branch my skin, tell me.

I added the screenshot of my desktop of "Windows10" on this post.

Screenshot

After making appropriate "ReadMe.txt" and "License" files,

rebuilding My "MsStyle theme" as "WindowBlinds Skin"(wba file)

I will release it on "Github".

 

 

§5. Appendix -LiteStep-

You knows the Alternative shell "LiteStep"

( http://litestep.net/ ).

For many people's eyes. it looks already abandoned.

 

And I felt heavy tiredness for the relation between 

"Windows under developping" and "LiteStep already abandoned".

Therefore, I quit to use it.

 

If you wanna use LiteStep now, see below URLs.

 https://www.deviantart.com/tackmack/art/Litestep-2021-872785216

 http://forums.litestep.info/viewtopic.php?id=432

 http://litestep.info/resources/installer/downloads.html

 https://github.com/Tobbe/losi

 

 

 

§6. Appendix2 -Winstep Nexus-

No need to say, My personal interests and matters are none of every other's business.

 

You know, John made also great work on "Winstep".

 

The "Winstep Nexus" has fatal problem on showing "dual-bytes character",

for example on Japanese language etc.

It has the strict limitation of number of showing characters on it's interface.

 

I said this matter to the developer several times in the past.

But, It still exists in the latest version "Winstep Nexus 20.10".

 

So, I don't use "Winstep Nexus".

And honestly saying, I prefer the classic Winstep up to "Winstep Xtreme ver.4.0"

( https://www.winstep.net/help/ns3/nextstart.htm ). 

 

Coz, I feel that the later version had lost the "Good old and best NeXTSTEP-ness".

 

 

Thank you for reading.

windowblinds
11,302 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

This may have been better posted in the thread it is pertaining to. But I am not a moderator.

 

To share a link, put the link in, a few spaces after it, and it will work.

 

https://www.wincustomize.com/article/505121/sneak-peek-at-new-windowblinds-skins   

 

You have put a lot of links in this post, and to expect people to copy and paste them all into a browser is a bit tedious.

 

Just sayin"...

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Thank you, Mr. RedneckDude.

But, in my browser, all URLs looks working colors with no fix.

You don't need to re-paste them into Address section of a particular browser.

And I had already commented this URL to the related post, before your commenting this post.

 

Thanks anyway.

Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

A quick note about the GPL licence.

Only the original author of a work can release it under that licence...and the 'work' actually needs to be accompanied by a copy of that license...with its release/distribution.

If either of those criteria is not met the license is null and void....;)

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Thanks, Mr. Jafo.

I recognize what you are saying.

So. I had said about the matter of license which an abandonware has.

Mr. John T. Folden is the original author and,

even if his work was abandoned,

still he has the copy right.

 

Please, remember 

  I haven't yet released my branch of Mr. Folden's "NeXTSTEP" skin with no permission by him.

 

The  point is that He didn't write about the Licenses on his works.

But, The sporks-woman of the Stardock corp., Ms. Tatiora announced that

they will rebuild many old skins made by each different Individual Authors.

 

So, I wondered it,

When they got these permissions for rebuilding those skins from each different original authors.

Or, all the rights of treating these skins made by individual users will be taken by Stardock Corp.?

 

The related Quotation from the "Terms of service" of "WinCustomize.com".

 5.CONTENT SUBMITTED 

WinCustomize.com/Stardock does not claim ownership of the Content you place on your WinCustomize.com Site.

Stardock may quote, redistribute or reproduce in whole or part of your Content (if you have made it public)

in order to promote your WinCustomize.com site and/or the WinCustomize.com service,

but only on a fair-use-type basis. By using this site, you agree to the following:

All Content uploaded onto this site must be original material created by you.

By uploading any Content to this site, contributors are automatically assumed to be the creator and owner of the Content.

You may not upload Content created by another person or taken from another source such as another website, etc,

without express written permission from copyright owner.

Copyright violation could result in account cancellation and in possible criminal prosecution

( https://www.wincustomize.com/terms-of-service ).

 

Therefore, if the Stardock corp. had already cleared this problem of abandoned skins.

It will help me and other many fans.

 

I couldn't get in contact with Mr.Folden.

So, I can't release my edited skin at the present.

 

My post is a kind of social experiment.

 I wanna see the reactions of Stardock cop. and many old skin fans like you.

 

When the Stardock corp. had already cleared this problem,

and they really could release the Updated version of Mr.Folden's "NeXTSTEP" skin,

It's enough.

 

Then, I don't need to make a STEP into the Gray zone about the license.

 

Besides it, I really hope, If they can keep on updating those old skins,

with No Author's permission,

It will help many fans of those abandoned skins.

 

So, I repeat again, "I'm really looking forward to seeing your NeXTSTEP Style Skin"!

The word "your" in the sentence above, means the Stardock corp.'s Sporks woman "Tatiora", with no words.

 

Thank you for your reaction, Mr. Jafo.

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting The-Avatar-of-Virtues, reply 4

The  point is that He didn't write about the Licenses on his works.
End of The-Avatar-of-Virtues's quote

All created 'work' has inherent copyright.  There is no requirement to state it as so.  Typically the only time copyright is mentioned with a 'work' is when there is some form of release by the author, eg ..."you can alter this freely but do not upload to a pay site".

"Abandonware" does not exist as an option/entity within Copyright Law.  It is a 'creation'. purely in the world of Computers to supposedly allow people to take and use things they "CLAIM' to be left and forgotten - as if that releases copyright.  It does not.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Looks like it is in the gallery.