[CAUT] WAPIN Installation

[RicB]

Dave, Tim... others.

I'm not sure I agree with the statement that there hasnt been any posts 
that could not very understandably be seen as belligerent in tone, or 
borderline.  Given the history of some of the exchanges on this subject 
I'd think everyone should go out of their way to stay on very safe and 
very polite ground. It is far to easy as it is to read between the 
lines.  Especially when one has been stung outright in the past.

That said... I'd agree with David in that whatever testing has been done 
should be made public and available to anyone that wants to check it 
out.  One of Stuarts & Sons problems is that they leave themselves open 
to this kind of questioning.. which indeed crosses the border into 
attack on occasion. 

One other point I'd like to make.  True enough... a patent holder must 
defend the claims made.  But not beyond what is reasonable.  Any 
counter-claim about the claims made must be just as credible in basis.  
But that is the extent of a patent holders responsiblities in this 
regard.  Strictly speaking... questions in themselves dont qualify as 
demanding an answer... tho perhaps it is wiser to meet the questioning 
community then ignore it.

Cheers
RicB



    Tim:

    I know posts from me have irritated you in the past so I'll try my
    bestnot to do that with this one.

    When someone invents something that they deem to be significant,
    application is made for a patent.  In the patent process "claims"
    are made.  If the patent office decides that these claims are novel,
    not obvious, and not "prior art" a patent is awarded.  At that time
    the claims are made public and the intellectual property is
    protected for a length of time.  

    At this point outsiders can evaluate the claims in the patent and
    question them.  The inventor/patent-holder must then defend their
    claims. Once a patent has been made public the inventor can expect
    questions from the relevant community about his/her work.  The old
    playground "because I said so" doesn't suffice.  Questions, requests
    for scientific (repeatable) test results can certainly be expected. 
    Even the testing process is open to discussion as to its validity. 
    This back-and-forth between knowledgeable people is what keeps
    innovation moving.  That's all I've seen here in this discussion.  I
    haven't seen any "belligerent" prose (well, maybe the 'pigeon poo'
    was a little testy)!  

    As you know I spent two days with you learning the process and paid
    my $100 to become a licensed Wapin installer.  I'm interested in
    _anything_
    that can improve our chosen instrument.  That doesn't mean that I
    don't still have questions.  Like most in our line of work I always
    want to know how and why something works.  These are questions, not
    attacks!

    dave

    David M. Porritt
    dporritt at smu.edu