In May 2003, Bare Bones Software (whose BBEdit I actually use for writing most of my posts, then publish via Radio) will celebrate it's 10th year anniversary. I suspect they are still earning revenue from some of their early code. Some software (like MORE, which Lessig and I still use) remains viable long after its purchase, for a variety of reasons. Good coding practices, like playing well within the then-defined programming rules for the target OS, strong focus on purpose, and making the user tasks feel right (or sound quiet, to paraphrase Brent).

Larry Lessig thinks the world would be a better place if the source of MORE was in the public domain.

I now have a better idea of where Lessig is coming from. He does support a fresh, spanky new 10-year copyright on a derivative work based on the original code. And right there is another problem with this notion.

What exactly would constitute derivative code, Larry? Where can you draw the line between modified and unmodified? Would adding another or a new comment in the code allow me to freshen the copyright? That would certainly change a checksum of the source, but wouldn't affect what the compiler actually crunches. Would fixing a typo of a bug do it? What if the bug is something the user never sees or notices? What if the fixed typo was a misspelling in a dialog box that isn't seen very much? What if the bug is in an easter egg that hasn't been found yet?

11:33:52 PM  [] blah blah blah'd on this    [ blinked via Scripting News ]

Alwin might have Cory on sheer number of active blogs, but the true measures of geekdom are in the details...

iMac-style "laptop dome" stand.

Check out these awesome laptop stands styled after the iMac's base. My physiotherapist has sternly warned me to start working with my iBook at eye-level and so I've been perching it on a spare oscilloscope on my desk, but this might be even more stylish.

Spare. O-scope. On his desk.

Geeeeek! And what's worse, I'm jealous that Cory's got a spare. ;-)

12:56:10 PM  [] blah blah blah'd on this    [ blinked via Boing Boing Blog ]