Internet Cowardice

 

Image source: outdoorswire.usatoday.com

Hello. I'm back to discuss yet another pet peeve of mine. This one isn't nearly as bad as mislabeling boxes as computers or charging money for software, but it's still worth writing a blog post about.

I enjoy emulating old operating systems using software such as VirtualBox, QEMU, and 86Box, so WinWorldPC has been a valuable website for me. If you don't know what WinWorldPC is, it's essentially a large archive of vintage software that can be downloaded for free. This includes operating systems such as Windows for Workgroups 3.11, IBM PC-DOS 2.00, and OS/2 Warp 4.

However, the operating system I've never emulated but really wish I could is Macintosh, specifically System 7. WinWorldPC and a few other websites have downloads for System 7, but they leave out an important part: the ROM files.

A ROM file is a file that contains a copy of the data from a read-only memory chip. It can be used to contain a computer's firmware. For some reason, a ROM file is required to emulate Macintosh operating systems, even though it isn't required for many other operating systems. Don't ask me why Apple is so picky about this, because I honestly have no idea. They are picky with lots of their other products as well, such as iPhones, but that's beside the point. (I know one thing is for sure: I'm gonna keep using Android!) The important thing here is Macintosh.

Of course, it would take a bit of trial and error to figure out how to use a ROM file to emulate Macintosh, but I think I could do it if I had a few days. And I'd be willing to do it too. But there's a small problem: many websites are cowards and refuse to post ROM files, despite being necessary for Macintosh emulation.

Some examples of cowardly websites include WinWorldPC, Beta Archive, and even Mini vMac which is the most popular Macintosh emulator for some reason.

In fact, on the Mini vMac FAQ page, one question asks for ROM files, and this was the answer given:

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No.

That would be a violation of copyright law. I am not a lawyer, but my understanding is that it is ok to produce a product that might be used for illegal purposes, so long as there sufficient legal use for it. Therefore I try to emphasize that Mini vMac can be used legally. The legal method is to own an old Macintosh and extract the ROM image for your own private use. (Some people think that this isn’t legal either, but that isn’t my understanding of U.S. copyright law, though I am not a lawyer, and laws could differ in other countries.)

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Bro, if you already have a physical Macintosh Classic computer, what purpose even is there in emulation? We can easily see through this answer that the company behind Mini vMac is a coward. That "no" seems quite firm, almost as if the company is scared.

After a quick Google search, it seems that no website is offering Macintosh ROM files for download, for the exact same reason as Mini vMac. They're too scared. This is what I like to call "Internet Cowardice." They downright refuse to post ROMs or even links to ROMs because they're afraid.

The mindset that I have and the mindset that I encourage anybody reading this to have is "they'll never catch me alive." When companies like Mini vMac and the others I mentioned refuse to post links to ROMs, they are essentially admitting defeat.

However, I never admit defeat.

Technically, I'm old enough that I could learn to drive if I wanted to. But I don't want to because I never want to admit defeat.

When you drive, you're submitting yourself to a variety of rules. Of course, many of these rules are in place to keep you safe, and some are even common sense. But following any rules is a way of admitting defeat. If you attempt to drive any way you want without following the rules, you'll probably die in a car accident. And dying is another form of admitting defeat.

I'll be closing now because I believe I've made my point clear. Internet cowardice is stupid. And what is even more stupid is creating a tutorial about how to emulate Macintosh without even providing the links to the ROM files, despite the fact that they are necessary.

Apple can't do anything to you. No one can do anything to you. So just link the ROMs!

Thanks for reading.

--ILikeSlugs