[mythtv-users] Data Direct "service"

[Rich West]

I just have to ask.  I certainly don't mean to add fuel to the fire, and
I will admit that, other than this thread (and similar ones to it), as
well as some of the gossamer threads I followed, I am pretty ignorant to
the entire agreement with DataDirect/Zap2It.  I searched around and have
been following this entire thread, but I am still kind of unsure as to
how the MythTV and DataDirect/Zap2it Labs relationship came about and
what the expectations are.

Maybe the history lesson on 'how it came about' isn't really important,
but I think there is some confusion as to what the expectations are
(from both sides).

I'm still new to MythTV (only started with it in November).  As a
relative newbie to MythTV, the impression that I had was that
DataDirect/Zap2It was doing MythTV a favor.  I have no idea as to why,
but we get guide data from them.  Now that I have read some of the
threads (and this one), as well as some indirect comments in previous
threads over the past few months, I realize that the download feed was
created out of necessity on their part (to handle the ever growing load
imposed by screen scraping), but I still don't quite understand why they
are providing the service to MythTV users.

Please excuse me if this question is out of line or off topic..

-Rich