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Visit the newest abandonware \ Windows support site on the web -- WinWorld!
We GREATLY appreciate your hits and posts in the guestbook and the forum!
Also, to any webmasters: we would VERY much like to have our link on your pages! If you would like your link on WinWorld, contact a staff member.
Thanks!
-The WinWorld Staff
I visited the site.
I tried to see what abandonware was available for Win98SE. The link times out.
In looking on the Status bar it would appear that the link is supposed to be Win98SE.rar which would suggest that it is actually the OS itself. Win98SE has gone 'Abandonware'?In further testing the validity of the site I clicked on the Win95a link...again, a dead link.
It's a pretty site but effectively useless.
Does that make this post simply spam to get hits on your site?
Hmmm.
Bryan
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Hi:
Thanks for your visit and comment.
Officially, I believe no Windows versions have gone abandonware. However, you can no longer buy any of the Windows versions available for download in a store, and Microsoft has dropped support for Windows 95 (or 98?) and below and has called it a 'dead product.'
Since we don't have support or funds to buy fast connections and servers, we have to go with what people offer us. Therefore, there may be slow connections and downtime. Right now it is fairly slow and one server is down, but since we don't own the servers all we can do is wait. Please check back later!
Please sign the guestbook and join the forums!!
-The WinWorld Staff
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Here's a quote from the forums at this website:
"Yeah, we're trying really hard to get visitors. It turned out pretty good posting about WinWorld at Computing.net. We've also submitted to search engines. If there's anyone you could refer to WinWorld, please do!!!"
So this topic was designed to boost hits for the popup ad. At the same time, the site has nothing to offer - the link above is actually a dead page, and all of the download links are useless.
Furthermore, Windows 98 and '95 (?) can still be found retail. Windows 98 at Amazon.com... I don't have a problem with abandonware, as long as you follow some basic principles. The products are still for sale, the company is still in business, and they can easily be located and contacted.
Meanwhile, stop using these support forums for your personal gain.
-Bob
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Bob,
All links now work. Also 95 and 98 are no longer supported by Microsoft. Ths is post is not for our personal gain. It is a Ref. Site too so people who need help can go there.
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I gotsumbadnewsforya. Just because MicroBill and his Buddies have "dropped support" for Winblows 95 does NOT mean that you can go around pirating the thing.
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I am not intending to preach here but in the spirit of the Computing.net forum board; I am trying to help.
I assume that that the operators of the WinWorld site are young enough not to realize the error or implication in offering copyrighted materials for distribution.
It is my opinion that your intentions are very good but you are raising a flag that will not fly.
There is a lot of issues being raised by big companies in this area.
One or two things is likely to happen.
Microsoft will send a cease and disist order or they will use WinWorld as an example of what happens to folks that mess with one of the biggest corporations in the world.I think the quick fix to your upcoming problems would be to remove the MS products from the WinWorld site before you are contacted by MS' powers.
Then contact MS to request their permission to distribute their products.HTH, before it is too late ;);)
Bryan
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Us 3 people running WinWorld are fully aware of what we are doing. This is just another one of those million sites on the web.If nobody reports us to Microsoft we might be able to keep WinWorld running for over 1 year.
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"Us 3 people running WinWorld are fully aware of what we are doing."
Ok then.
Best of luck,
Bryan
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you must be daft, or very naive.
Do you think that Microsoft doesn't have a staff devoted to tracking down their copyrighted material on the Internet? You think they're too stupid to use a search engine to find your site? It's only a matter of time...
Read this:
http://computing.net/windows31/wwwboard/forum/10282.html
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We know that very well.
You know, we haven't gotten a good impression of Computing.net at ALL. Here, we put together a nice site with working downloads to keep this software from going 'extinct.' We just go to Computing.net to advertise our site, and all we get it flaming!
Sigh.
-The WinWorld Staff
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I do not know if I speak for just myself or if I express the general concensus of the Computing.net community.
Let's breakdown your last post.
"You know, we haven't gotten a good impression of Computing.net at ALL."
We are not here to impress anybody but ourselves when we are able to help another with a problem.
"Here, we put together a nice site with working downloads to keep this software from going 'extinct.'"
That is a nice gesture but you are talking about copyrighted materials. The links at 1.7kbps on a >100mb download is as good as a deak link. The reference material is at best a good 'start'.
"We just go to Computing.net to advertise our site, and all we get it flaming!"
Computing.net is a computer forum board and not a bill board. Like Microsoft, have you asked for the permission of the Computing.net webmaster for free advertising on the site?
So, you come here to spam this forum board with less than useful reference material, offering dead links to software that you have no rights to offer.
You have not yet been flamed yet because the community here will give you that inch and that is what makes Computing.net a nice place to come to get or give help.
My recommendation would be for you to approach the next forum board asking for opinions or comments on your site as though you are asking for help or suggestions for improvement to your site.
HTH
Bryan
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Let's break down YOUR last post!
"We are not here to impress anybody but ourselves when we are able to help another with a problem."
Did you say 'help'? Doesn't seem like you would be much of a help to anyone...
"That is a nice gesture but you are talking about copyrighted materials. The links at 1.7kbps on a >100mb download is as good as a deak link. The reference material is at best a good 'start'."
In other words, you started to download copyrighted material!? By the way, what is a 'deak link'?
"Computing.net is a computer forum board and not a bill board. Like Microsoft, have you asked for the permission of the Computing.net webmaster for free advertising on the site?"
We've seen many regular posters asking people to check out their site. You're pretty good at making up rules.
"So, you come here to spam this forum board with less than useful reference material..."
You just said it was a 'good start'!
"...offering dead links..."
They all work.
"You have not yet been flamed yet because the community here will give you that inch..."
What a bad attempt at a joke...
"..and that is what makes Computing.net a nice place to come to get or give help."
Huh? You have me wondering there...
"My recommendation would be for you to approach the next forum board asking for opinions or comments on your site as though you are asking for help or suggestions for improvement to your site."
We've done that here.
-WinWorld
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deak: adjective, 1. almost dead, 2. misspelling of the word 'dead'.
"Visit the newest abandonware \ Windows support site on the web -- WinWorld!
http://winworld.vze.comWe GREATLY appreciate your hits and posts in the guestbook and the forum!"
That is an advertisement and not a request for opinions or comments.
Yes, I was interested in seeing what support yours had to offer for Win98SE. Once it starting downloading at 1.7 kbps I noticed that it was a download for a ~122 mb file. I was not about to wait the 35 hours to download it to confirm my suspicion that it was the Win98SE OS.
Although you did not ask opinions or comments I offered them anyway. I am sorry that you do not like my opinion.
Sincerely,
Bryan
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It's just that we literally have gotten nothing but...well, I don't know how to put it other than 'meanness'...here.
We WERE trying to get hits; but we wanted people to post in the forums, to post their comments etc, we have a section for that in the forum.
-The WinWorld Staff
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Win, can I call you Win?, it is all about marketing. You need to understand your goals and then find a way to get others to accept or support them.
Try to be objective. Re-read your original post but do so from the point of view of the reader that you are trying to sell your site to. Please keep in mind that this particular board is a forum board and not a bulletin board.
I have seen many promoting their site here at Computing.net and I have seen those with good responses and those that receive total rejection. The response is dictacted buy the approach of the solicitor.
This post has dropped off of the main page.
Might I suggest you try it again but with a different approach for example, an approach that appeals to the sense of honor for the reader.
Instead of using 'WinWorld', use your actual name in the header and signature of your post. It is in the signiture that it would be good to proudly state or sign it as Webmaster of WinWorld or something to that effect.
In the body you could state similar to the following:
Hi, myself and two friends are setting up a new Windows support site and are looking for ways to improve it.
We presently have a reference guide, forums, a guest book and a download section that has a slow server for the time being.
We think that the comments of the Computing.net community would be of great value to us.
Thank you for reading.
signed with your name and title as it relates to the WinWorld site.There are several regular posters on Computing.net that have set up and run very helpful sites. They still come here to help but not sell their site. If their site has details that offer help to a particular problem then they state so and provide the clickable link to that reference material.
This is the help I offer to you.
BryanP.S. In defense...Meaness, I have not seen meaness in any of the replies unless speaking the truth is considered as mean. Well, sometimes the truth hurts.
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If you take it that way, fine. You can not deny that there has been meanness.
We'll try exactly as you say and see how it works.
-The WinWorld Staff
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I have seen your post:
http://www.computing.net/windows95/wwwboard/forum/143554.htmlI noticed you did not use a name and you are emphasizing the fact that your site considers MS Windows versions as 'Abandonware'. We have already covered that point.
It will always be a questionable point. The term is too subjective. What WinWorld and the rest of the world considers as Abandonware will remain a difference. I would suggest covering that concept and let the viewers discover it's wealth once at your site.
Maybe call it a Resurrected OS' site in lieu of abandonware (because it is not abandonware).Your post was received a little better this time. A couple of more tweaks and I suspect you will obtain your goal.
Just trying to help again.
Bryan
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I did not want to include my name. There is nothing wrong with calling it abandonware. I don't see M$ working on Windows 3.1 or 95 -- they've even stopped supporting it! Therefore, I think they have abandoned everything but their copyright on it. I do not think of abandonware as legal, publicly released freeware.
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Ok, i concede.
From Whatis.com:
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci214339,00.html"abandonware
Abandonware is computer software (such as an operating system, word processor, interactive game, or audio file) that is no longer marketed or distributed by the company that created it, but is obtainable from some other source. Some popular products that have been at least temporarily abandoned include NeXTStep, the operating system for the NeXT computer; OpenStep, its successor; and many interactive games that were replaced by more sophisticated products. In some cases, a company or Web site gets permission from the creator to distribute the abandoned program; but sometimes they don't. To use abandonware that you download, you often need a license string that the software recognizes as entitling the user to install it. In this case, the downloading site provides a license string that is known to work."
I wish you the best of luck with your endeavor.
Bryan
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