Dotan Cohen wrote:
David, I am the OP, and I have not posted the URL to the pirate site. Nor did I see it posted anywhere. Check the email, maybe someone else sent it to you directly.
Dotan, I'm fully aware that you didn't post the URL, and I apologize if my post gave the impression that you were the culprit. The URL was posted by another person approximately six hours after your original post. It might have been removed from the web interface, but it's definitely still there in my newsreader.
It has been quite fascinating to read this thread, even though it has nothing to do with PHP. As an author, I have frequently thought about the contradiction between the fact that PHP is free and open source, but I claim copyright and payment for the books I write about it. But it's no secret that many people involved in developing open source software make a living selling their knowledge in one way or another, either as consultants or developers. Although I don't have the skills to contribute to the core development of PHP, I hope that my books help others use PHP in a productive and secure manner.
With regard to the argument about free flow of information, all the information in my books is freely available on the internet. However, the value to most readers is that I have pulled together that information, tested it, and presented it in a form that, hopefully, makes it easier for beginners and intermediate developers to understand. Since it takes six months to a year to produce a book, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect readers to pay for it. Unfortunately, computer books are expensive. Few people realize that only a tiny proportion of the price goes to the author. That's why unauthorized distribution cuts so deeply into an author's income.
David Powers -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
