I've been supporter of MTR for about three years and have made donations which are now called gifts. And I want to make it abundantly clear that I have no problems supporting the ongoing development of the only decent dvd ripper for the mac platform. The problem is that the developer, GeezerButtz, has put too many barriers between Mactheripper users and the application.

The reason for this is that some people posted their copies of MTR 3x on P2P sites. In other words people were using the application for free. Now I don't support this and until a couple of months ago I had no issues with some attempts by the developer to stop this from happening. The situation has now gone from the ridiculous to the sublime. It has now got to the stage that the ripdifferent site even advises people what to do if (read "when" for some) things go wrong.

Compounding this there are a lot of new mac users as well (as existing users) who are a little light on the geek side. So when things go wrong trying to load the program (as they now do) you then have to get advice and then run the risk of being flamed for being an idiot. For crying out loud it is GeezerButtz who is making it so difficult. If you don't believe me, join the rippdifferent site and click on mactheripper and follow the links. I've been using macs for over a decade and I'm really tossing up getting a copy of XP and using Anydvd. I figure that it would be a lot easier to load that program than to enter the survival course of making a gift for Mactheripper.

For the record I want to repeat that I don't have a problem paying for the development of the application but what I do object to is being treated as a person who would try and rort the system. I just think that such an attitude is at the very least arrogant and at the most completely over the top. It's like trying to hit a flea with an Abrahams tank. And the reason I'm posting this on versiontracker rather than ripdifferent is that if you try to constructively criticise on that site you get flamed something wicked. And that includes the developer putting the boot in as well. I repeat what I said I don't object to making donations (and I was going to plunk another $50 into the MTR kitty) until I saw the latest rules.

GeezerButtz is on record as saying that MTR will eventually be listed as free application and perhaps to get people to give money for ongoing development he should release older versions of 3x to all mac users. This would be an incentive for people to make a gift for the latest version. Will MTR be released as a free program? Your guess is as good as mine. But if you post a request for a date for the free release (of MTR) on the ripdifferent site then you'll probably be flamed.

I still recommend the use of the program but not the survival course to get the program.

Walter Chillum

P.S. I really feel like a rat for posting this but someone who supports GB and MTR has to flag the problems that are developing on the ripdifferent site.