[Coco] [color computer] To: Hex Star

[George's Coco Address]

Hex Star,

  I want to take this time to educate you a little bit about email and 
people....

  I've learned over the years that, even when on printed paper(hard copies), 
if you ask two or more questions or make two or more statements, the first 
one that lights a fuse will make the firecracker go POW! Everything that 
follows is moot.

  Your original post of making all files for the Coco available on the 'net, 
lit the fuse.

  If you had asked if it was a good idea, as Briza posted earlier........
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi Fellow Coconuts.

I have been a Coco user since X-Mas 86. I need to know is what you Guys & 
Gals think of my Coco Games Software DVD set. I intend making up.
 On this DVD set will be nearly every game ever Done on the Coco computers. 
Excluding Games that are still being marketed by Authors, Namely Nick 
Marentas and John Strong. But the DVD set will have in it Games and Docs. 
But not all games will have the Docs. As I have long lost them.
 What I need to know is how you fellow coconuts feel about it. I have 
already left a post in Roger's website stating my intentions for doing this 
DVD set.
 So far All I have recieved is a Thumbs up to the idea. It seems a lot of 
Coconuts would love to see this idea come to life. But As of late I have 
been having second thoughts after reading all the crap dealing with Hex Star 
and his preservation website. I'm worried that this set will end up being 
copied and sold on Ebay or put on a website.
 This DVD set has takened me 20 odd years of software collecting to get to 
this stage. Like Ira I would be devastated If my hard work was to be used 
for profit on ebay or website. So I might not even go through with my Idea.
 But if I do go through with it. 1st I want to get the opinions of the 
coconuts in here. secondly I will state that I will not be letting this 
collection be used for purposes it was not made for. This DVD set is for the 
pleasure of coco game players to enjoy games that have long disappeared or 
just hard to get thats all.
 And this set will contain games that are copyrighted. But I'm not going to 
be making money from this adventure. all it will be doing is paying the 
costs of material and time I spend cleaning it up and marketing. This set is 
for the pleasure of the community nothing more.

laters

Briza"
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 You see, people don't just jump in and do things or announce that they are 
going to do so, without some sort of  input from a tightly knit group such 
as the Coco Group. We are very protective of our cocos, software and leery 
of newcomers. As such,  new folks stepping in and making announcements such 
as you did put folks here on the defensive.
 If you had done as Briza did, you would have received suggestions and 
(probably) encouragements from this group.
 As it stands, the firecracker has already popped and it's a little late to 
fix it.

 It's pretty much the same thing at work.... A new guy comes in and tries to 
take the company by storm, announcing that he can make a difference and make 
all things better, even though he is not hired as a supervisor, just another 
employee. Instantly, he is tagged as a trouble maker or worse. When he 
discovers he is in trouble he can do one of two things...

  1. Start defending his position and making the situation worse.
  2. Shut the heck up, be humbled, ask questions, find out how things work 
and learn what the company and co-workers are all about.

 The latter seems to work better.

  I believe you have good intentions and your motives are honest. However, 
the way you walked in and announced that you are the savior of the Color 
Computer and will save and redistribute ALL THE AVAILABLE SOFTWARE for this 
machine did light that fuse. This is why you are in trouble right now.

 I think it would be a good idea if you stopped defending your position, ask 
for forgiveness and ask how you might better serve the Coco Community. I 
believe you will find that the group will be more helpful if you did this.

 We are a loving, closely knit group of people interested in a cherished 
computer. As such, we are willing to help anyone that is also interested in 
this computer.

 May I suggest you get a Coco and learn what this is all about. You will 
find it more fascinating than your current project of preserving stuff that 
you know little about. You will discover that there is more to learn than 
there is to teach.

  I'm not trying to bash you or belittle you. I'm simply trying to help you 
repair the damage that has been done.

George