I didn't see any actual answers to your question - so here goes. (I'm going to assume .net - but most languages would support this structure) Make a service that ties into the FileSystemChanged events - monitor the directories of yon files. When an xml file changes, update a master xml that keeps this list of 5. This allows you to keep your structure, but also respond to changes in lots of files without bothering the actual process (and quickness) of single xml files per pic. Hope this gives you an idea. Brian

John Cardinal wrote:

If you want to know about IP, consult a lawyer.

Lawrence Lessig is a professor of law at Stanford and before that at Harvard. You, Mr. Cardinal, apparently are a manager of some sort, who I've never heard of - so I'll take Mr. Lessig's opinion over yours. Yes, selling & marketing software is hard work, so is making software - in most businesses it is a sybiotic relationship. I know and work with our salespeople - helping them with sales, presentations and implementations in addition to writing code and running projects. I ask for their help in writing stories of what features to write and how I can better the software to help them sell it. I can't do it all, so I obviously need help - and I'm not wired to sell - some people are really good at it and can't write code - so we work TOGETHER. Ok, I've read your other posts and mostly you say some good things. You are obviously a little peeved and have little tact when it comes to other peoples opinions (why are you on an opinion forum is beyond me). I have absolutely no problems with trademarks (except the idiots who try to trademark everyday words). I have problems with the current patent system because of squatters who say they come up with an idea and then wait for someone to actually implement it. I'm currently in the process of patenting one of the projects I pioneered because the company lawyers demand it - I personally don't think it is all that unique, but we employee a lot of lawyers and I do take them seriously (and btw - several of them had Lessig as a professor and think he's great). I work under Thompson corp who owns Westlaw (amoung many other co's). I do have problems with the current copyright laws because of the TIME change. It used to be 7 years - and that frankly was fine. At this point I can't copy Mickey Mouse even though he is as much a part of our culture as Mark Twain. If you think you should have rights to something for eternity, then please understand that all ideas come from something else and if nobody can ever grow an idea, we would not be here today. Give me an example of something that should be copyrighted for longer than 7 years and I'll honestly consider your opinions of why. Brian

If you want an informed opinion about IP visit http://lessig.org/ and read some of Lawrence Lessig's books / watch this presentation: http://www.lessig.org/freeculture/ Most people that say, "I don't want my work stolen" have no idea what that means or how to better market themselves - installing / maintaining / servicing open source software packages will be the future for most smoes. If you write a wonderful little tool that nobody else has, then you'll be known in the community and your "prestige" will improve - fame and fortune will follow. That is for 95% of all software (OS / email / web browsers should all be free). There is always going to be niche markets - for instance, Corporate Tax Software because there's too much domain knowledge and frankly nobody is doing that for free, cause it sucks. On the bigger, movie / song side of things - the CP laws DO NOT protect the artist - they protect the publisher. I know several producers of film / commercials who's stance is basically, they get paid to produce a video and could give a crap about what happens to it once it has been delivered. If you are an artist, make your songs available to everyone, upload your mp3's for free to everyone - because when you come to town to play a gig, you'll pack the venue and that's where you'll make your money. Artists only receive penny's on the sale of CDs. If you are a hollywood producer of movies, with a 100 million dollar budget, you don't care what happens to your Mission Impossible III movie after it has been PRODUCED. You are doing what you love to do. It is the publisher (who backed the movie with 100 million dollars and want to see big moneys on their investment) who needs to protect that investment, and I understand that. But, after 7 years it is public domain and anyone can do anything they want with it. This is how we grow, how we invent, and what the USA originally stood for. If you don't get this, then you are a publisher - a leech on society - and the only reason you exist is because of other people's talents. Brian