How to select a non-proprietary license.

Over the years I've come across several tutorials with detailed information on how to select from the list of Free Software (or Open Source) licenses and implement that selection. Here's mine: Before you start, if you already have any copyright notices concerning your software, delete them. Step 1: Download this file http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl2.txt and follow the instructions within. Before moving on to the next step, let us review. You have now absolved yourself or your company of all problematic legal entanglements. Should anyone cause you any legal grief, inform FSF.org, they'll handle it. There are no other steps. So stop wasting time on legalities and release your software already.

Gauntlet Legends inspired Heroes Of Forevia aims to create a less disconnected multiplayer experience

Multiplayer games these days can make one feel like all the other players are just there doing their own thing, not really people you're playing with. Heroes Of Forevia devs want online games to feel more like a local same-screen co-op. And with enough funds they'll do so for Android, iOS, and Linux as well. Note, Heroes Of Forevia will be proprietary.

Netbook Resolution too small -- Not a problem

Some applications, especially games, simply will not run when that encounter an exotic resolution. Even ones that support resolutions smaller than the one you have (its oddly expected you will run the app and adjust the resolution to a smaller one, even though the app will not run). This is easy to fix using Linux. You can use this to run stubborn DOS & Windows applications as well using emulation (DOSbox & wine respectively). Here are some instructions for an LCD screen on a netbook with a flashing native resolution of 1024x576 (not 1024x600). This example sets a virtual resolution of 1024x600 which is suitable to satisfy most 800x600 minimum apps. If you don'r have it, you'll need to install xrandr (in x11-xserver-utils)
Open a Linux Terminal (its on the GUI menu if you are not in one already)
type the line below:
xrandr --output LVDS1 --mode 1024x576 --fb 1024x600 --panning 1024x600

Done. There are 24 lines of resolution you can see in this arrangement (the top and/or on the bottom bits of the screen), but you may scroll this as needed by moving the Linux cursor to the edge that's hidden. If the app does not let you do this, then scroll the screen into an optimal view port _before_ running it. This trick can cause problems for apps that are expecting the computer to be set to its native resolution. So here is how to change back:

xrandr --output LVDS1 --mode 1024x576 --fb 1024x576

This works for even large minimum screen sizes, and for horizontal scrolling as well. 

Child's Play Charity shows Gamers Really Are Antisocial and Violent

Child's Play Charity was founded to improve the lives of sick children by donating toys and games to hospitals worldwide and as a rebuttal to those accusing gamers of being anti social and violent. How ironic that they give them things that are fun and bring them happiness on the condition that they must not try to understand how it works, must not try to improve it, discouraged from contributing to it, and above all they must not share it with their neighbor. I'm talkig of course about proprietary software. Most games that are copyrighted and by default; unsharable; because it is import to set that example to children at an early age¡ Were this the only way to bring joy into the lives of any children, then it would have to be so. But there's a better way. But children can be given games that are fun, bring them happiness and teach them how to be an improvement to society rather than a selfish cog in it. Games that encourage them to understand how they said games work. Games that encourage them to make improvements to said games. And most important of all, games that they can freely share their own sake's as well as the sake of their neighbor.
So am I saying "Think of the children"? Not at all; JAVA for children, lets think of everybody!
We don't need some organized charity, just people. He's how:
You, that is the reader, YOU, download the lite version of live.linuX-gamers.net (lite edition is sure not to offend anyone). You can get it at live.linuX-gamers.net. I STRONGLY recommend use the torrent download from the top of the list there. Write it to a CD-R using Infra recorder for Windows, Applications → Utilities → Disk Utility for Mac, or Brasero for Linux (or your preference). Write "Share Freely" on the disk. Give it to a child. Repeat.

DEWEY DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION (DCC)

Born 1876 in the mind of Melvil Dewey who has long since passed away. His Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) is a system for classifying and organizing works in libraries in such a way that almost anyone who can count can find and return books in their proper place. Not as much as a problem for chained libraries with hand written books. But in a modern libraries with the number of books ever increasing, this system is quite useful. Its only real competitor (in the real world) is the Library of Congress Classification (LCC). The DDC is widely known to be the easier of the two systems. The LCC systems is also extremely American-centric as evidenced in its categories such as "Class D - World History (everyone except American History)", "Class E American History" AND "Class F - American History", and "Class F - Local History of the United States and British, Dutch, French, and Latin America". The DDC was of course a product of the USA also, yet open enough to diverge from it's roots to be used in over 200,000 public and private libraries in 135 or more countries while the LCC remains mainly used US university libraries. So why does the LCC remain in use? I'll come back to this question.

Its proprietary. Yup, 134 years since its invention, the better system is still locked up in trademarks and copyrights. One would think its not possible. But some searching will reveal that current combinations of laws and congressional acts make it possible hold innovation hostage over 300 years (proprietaries can outlive nations). Many of the libraries using DDC are doing so illegally. The copyrights and trademarks supposedly designed to encourage Mr. Dewey's mind to create such a system in exchange for the US government's guarantee that it remains his to buy, sell, and trade have been acquired in a corporate takeover. Its not entrusted to his descendants. Not a foundation or charity. Its sold out to a corporation.

Meanwhile, librarians are worried. Books are being digitized and libraries are closing down due to lack of visitors and support. The Internet has taken a big share of the market. Never mind that Internet access costs money and libraries are free to customers or at least its much cheaper to pay for a library card. While the apparent majority can afford the expense, what of the ones who cannot? Some of the librarians seem willing to do almost anything to save their real world books on real world shelves in their real world buildings. This seems to be why they've willingly allowed the current state of affairs.

When I was a teen, I loved going to the library. Yes, I was a geek, still am. When I was relocated to a middle of a desert trailer park, I thought I might not get to a library for many years. But, there was a county library branch just a few blocks away; open from sunrise to sunset. Very small. Very, very small, but they could get any book there for me within a week by picking up the phone and asking for it. How did I know which book to ask for? They had a DDC index. They had a building, tables, chairs, a few shelves, a few books, a phone, a librarian, a type righter, and a DDC index. They did not have, electricity. Thus no computers, thus the hours of operation.

Currently libraries are under the thumb of the Online Computer Library Center of Dublin, Ohio. On the surface its non-profit membership corporation. Yet they are putting competitors out of business and/or acquiring libraries and other corporations. That should raise red-flags. A single corporation is gaining control of more and more libraries. Their software systems take control away from the libraries and centralize it to themselves. No longer can librarians search for and checkout books at the library. Now everything, even locating the book in the library, must be done on the computer over a network, even if your *at* the library. You see the librarians are compelled to input all the records into the system and _delete_or_physically_removed_ the old catalogs. Now only the OCLC knows where to find the books. But there is a charge to access the data. There's even a charge for using a scanner too many times. The very data the librarians provided is sold back to them. It is reminiscent of the lesser known variety of the chained libraries, sometimes called the "cadged library". In these, the books are unchanged but the readers are forced to be locking into a cage with them until they are finished reading. Now, its the librarians, chained to the OCLC through the computers. "Exaggeration" you say? Librarians must carry an RSA SecurID key fob that creates a new 6-digit number every 60 seconds. It keeps them bound to the computer. And, they must use the key along with their personal pin to access their own computers for *any* use.

So who's the members in this 'membership' corporation? The chained librarians of course.

note: this is long winded
As a child I discovered a computer language called BASIC. The knowledge that I could command the computer to recreate the thoughts in my mind changed my perception of the world. Since then, I wanted to create virtual stuff, games mainly. I piddled around with Apple ][s (my favorite), Commodore 64s, Atari 8-bits, IBMs, Atari 2600 (I had the basic programming cartridge, thank you Mr. Warren Robinett), NES (Excitebike included customer track design), and even calculators whenever I could while growing up. Sometimes while standing in department stores where they were being demoed. I couldn't afford my own computer after all. My parents (both sets) were not likely to buy me one. Most of the time the schools I attended had some Apple ][s available for me to use (with or without permission). I confess that I used burglar tactics (entering but not breaking) on more than one occasion just to use a computer and leave without a trace. I finally did manage to buy my own Apple IIc only to have life circumstances take it away. Through it all I held onto a dream of being a successful videogame maker someday. But life happens, and so does gray hair. I delayed my dream because of circumstance and choice in favor of other priorities. I don't regret these for a moment. But, I realized at some point in my life that I was going nowhere and life was meaningless. It was not about my priorities, my dream, or the consequences of my choices. It was about who I was. Much to my surprise, I was saved by Jesus. At the time, Videogames were becoming, or already were, violent, sexual, crass, vile, and that is no place for a Christian, right? And so my dream died. But, life happens. I was encouraged by _some_ church leaders, _some_ fellow Christians, and by some lesser known facts about the gaming industry. My dream is alive again, as long as God wills it, because it is no longer mine. I may never personally be successful but its not really about me anymore. Truth, many Christians are horrified when I tell them I want to make videogames. I get the distinct impression that some of them want to slap their palm on my head and yell, "Be gone demon!" (even from Baptists, Lutherans, and Methodists). But others point me to the Bible and show where Jesus went amongst the sinners to perform His Job. He did not seal himself away in a building surrounded by only His most well-behaved followers. And it turns out that some of us (Christians) have been there all along. And there's even games by Christians promoting Jesus. http://www.uvlist.net/search?ftag=christian&sort=year&listed=50. I hope I'm not misunderstood. I have no intention of making games for the Christian market or about supposedly 'Christian subjects'. If any game I design ever becomes popular among Christian players, I will consider my dream a failure. I intend to make great games because I'm working for a great boss (Jesus). But, life happens. And I think I've avoided the main issue long enough. I don't yet have the skills or equipment to do a great job. I don't have the GPA for college. What I do have, is the opportunity to attend a trade school. It's reputation in the gaming industry is questionable. It won't be easy. It may not get me a job. But it will get me the skills. But, life happens. Since getting new final boss, I have come to look at everything from a different perspective. I've realized that Libre Software is the only Biblical model for all useful software. Not much call for that in the industry yet. I recognize there is art and opinion in the content of games that can be packaged separately from the code. Ironically, neither the Libre Software community nor the industry seem to be catching on to this. I wonder what shall I do with the skills I obtain? Get an industry job? What should I do when I'm asked to create games that are morally reprehensible to me?


Yes, many 'Christian games' suck. Probably for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that they are often made by well meaning but technically unequipped people who's primary concern is preaching the message instead of _presenting_ the message. Even a person's favorite meal does not look appetizing if served on garbage can lid.

WORLD ENOUGH AND TIME

It doesn't matter if you're a fan, or even if you hate it, if you only see one Star Trek production in your life, make it WORLD ENOUGH AND TIME

(Don't watch the trailer, the trailer sucks.)