Back in the '90s we had legitimately free software as we do now, only it was known as 'public domain' because the authors permitted modification and distribution of their work as long as it was carried out on a not-for-profit basis. As there was a tendency for PD software to emerge from the brains and bedrooms of single, amateur coders, diplomatically speaking, it was assumed by many to be inferior to retail software. Others - who often couldn't afford the latter - considered it a computing lifeline. A virtuous and legal way to obtain free games and utilities. Analogously, this debate played out in the letters pages of computer magazines. Amiga Action for instance…
PD or not to be
I have always read your letters page with great interest and your replies are usually very honest, bringing up important issues. However, a letter I read recently disgusted me. How on Earth could you say that all PD games are crap? You obviously haven't played stuff like Drip, Quick and Silver, Zeus and Obliteration. Those and many others are a lot better than many full price titles. Besides, I cannot afford to spend £25 or even £8 every time I want a new game. Without PD games I would be driven to piracy and that's the last thing I want.
Johann Hari, Edgware
I certainly don't recall such comments and neither does anybody else. We may have put down a few individual titles, but our opinion on many PD games is just as high as that of anyone else. In fact, if the demand is big enough, we hope to put a few more PD titles on our coverdisks in the coming months. Your thoughts on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Amiga Action (August 1992)
Hmm, not in so many words perhaps, but you sort of did deride the entire creative genre in a response to another reader's letter on the same subject.
Get on your bike
Being on the dole, I find it hard to keep up with increasing game prices. Therefore. I've often relied on Public Domain Software. I used to consult your PD guide, but it's now disappeared. Do you intend to bring back this feature or should I look elsewhere for such reviews?
Alan Stevens, Birkenhead
The quality of PD isn't very high, so we've decided to concentrate on budget titles instead: an area of the market which is expanding rapidly. We will, however, be covering PD software from time to time.
Send your letters to: Peter Lee, Talkback, Amiga Action, Europress Interactive Ltd., Europa House, Adlington Park, Adlington, Macclesfield, SK10 4NP.
Amiga Action (May 1992)
As with most polemic stances, the truth tends to lie somewhere in the middle. PD software is awful, mediocre, good or fantastic dependant on the particular specimen under scrutiny and the authors involved. This applies equally to retail software, except - given the price tag - it carries a harsher sting in the tail should you find that it's not fit for purpose.
What's your opinion? Did PD software deserve its coverage in mainstream computer magazines? Which titles posed a threat to the major high street name publishers?
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