Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Busby permission

[SeaLordOne@aol.com]

Shipmates,

A clarification, please.  I am not taking this issue "off line" because I am 
eager to do this in some reckless manner, behind the backs of others.  I am 
taking this off line for three reasons.  First, and foremost, this site 
belongs to Ray and some others, who are clearly uncomfortable with moving 
forward with this.  I respect what these founding fathers have done for our 
hobby, and I am not about to use their site to push for issues they cannot 
support.  I don't want to bite the hand the feeds me.  

Second, I sense that most members who have something to say on this issue 
have already said it.  Third, I think you find out whether something is legal 
and ethical by attempting to do it in a slow and careful manner, and seeing 
what happens, and not by assuming it cannot be done, and therefore doing 
nothing.  I will be careful and I will be conservative, but I will not give 
up simply because a small number of people have a small number of concerns.  
I will address every one of these concerns.  If Phil or Pat are right, I will 
discover that in the process.

This is an empirical question.  Pat may be right or he may be wrong, let's 
find out.  Phil may be right or he may be wrong, lets find out.  I may be 
right or I may be wrong, lets find out.  I would be honored if Pat, or Phil, 
or anyone else on this site wants to get beyond the stage of speculation, and 
press the test to see whether or not this is feasible, legal and ethical.  

I intend to do this slowly and deliberately.  If there are legal or ethical 
issues, I anticipate they will be uncovered in the process.  I would love to 
have Andy Busby's take on this, and I will certainly ask the Navy the extent 
to which they will share their files on the agreement with Mr. Busby.  There 
is no way I would ask Jon to put something on his site that was not 100% 
legal.

It would be wonderful if Andy Busby supported an update to this classic.  But 
my goal is far more modest.  I simply want to make the original available.  I 
will certainly ask all the hard questions that Phil and Pat and others have 
asked.  But again, I must fall back on my own experience.  I have been doing 
this for 25 years, and I will bet you dollars to donuts that Mr. Busby signed 
the same forms and made the same agreements that all of the rest of us did.

Again, this is an empirical question.  We will put all of these issues to the 
test, and we will see what the deal really is.  We will not be bar-room 
lawyers, we will not get our legal advice via the internet, we will not exist 
on speculation.  We will address the primary players on the primary issues, 
and see what our options really are.

Thank you for your time,

Doug Farrow