[ I 030513 MMDigest Philippe Rouille asked Mike about ROMFI. ]

Let me answer as the questions are posed.

> Who is managing the ROMFI web site? ...  the "WhoIs" site of
> Internic, the Internet Authority, [gives] for ROMFI: "Functional
> Technologies", address in Basel, Switzerland ...

It was our programming group, so far only with ROMFI, but now that
ROMFI is running they have capacity to go and do other things.

> But usually this info does not really answer the fundamental question
> of who really runs a web site.  In the case of ROMFI, who is the real
> creator, owner and manager ?

ROMFI is run by a group of people, not for profit, with pure interest
of science and humanity.  It is curiously interesting to see how people
occasionally seem to react so negatively to this.  Does everything need
to chase dollars or pounds or euros?

> Copyright : this point is very important.  What the site will do
> with the texts, images and music given? ...

Just as is happening now: share with everyone who visits the site.

> Will it re-sell them again to others (individuals or companies ?)

Definitely not.

> Will it patent in its name the inventions deposited by inventors,
> leaving them only with their eyes to cry ?

One would be surprised if an "unpatented invention" is entered in ROMFI,
as if it's produced, it's been patent protected.  Maybe you would like
to elaborate...

> Will ROMFI use this personal data base [of addresses, etc.] for
> commercial purposes ?

Definitely not.  We ask this information so that we do not have "Micky
Mouse" type people posting spurious data.

> What will happen to these data when the ROMFI web site will close?

The possibility of ROMFI closing in the foreseeable future is zero, but
as ROMFI is not for profit, it should go to an institute of higher
learning.

It is a good point you make, and again one of the ROMFI aims: to
save data that may otherwise disappear.  What would happen to all the
information you know about your hobby but you do not write it or save
it anywhere, and then you fall in front of a bus?

> Mike Moran has already asked us to read the numerous pages of legal
> small letters on his site to find the answer ... that is rather a
> disquieting answer!  It means at least that ROMFI has real professional
> legal advisors.  What for, then ?

To protect ROMFI and especially people posting on ROMFI against
difficulties that arise if all these issues are not clearly set out.
Such disclaimers are to be found on all larger web sites as standard
practice.

> So I hope Mike Moran will tell us frankly what his "Repository"
> (what a curious name!) is exactly for. ...

(Repository = large place where things are stored)
ROMFI is exactly for saving the knowledge that is in the heads of so
many, but not always shared, and then eventually lost.

> So Mike, now, it is your turn to send us details, and even all the
> details ...  By the way, are you Swiss, based in Basel ?

Philippe, If you are ever coming in this direction, visit us in Basel;
it's a great city and only 5 hours from Paris.  You can check us out in
greatest detail.

For us, the most important issue is the ROMFI web site.  It's there,
it's growing, and we look forward to it being a valuable service to
share and impart knowledge.  This is the important aspect.

Regards
Mike Moran
info@romfi.com