🚀 go-pugleaf

? From: David Lawrence <compass.UUCP!lawrence@eddie.mit.edu>

? A recent posting advertised the distribution of GNU software by a
? company named ISPI, located in New York.

? Although this is allowed for by the GNU General Public License, it seems
? inappropriate to me that a for-profit organization would avail itself
? of a "free good" (the net) to advertise their services.

? I feel that this is contrary to the spirit of GNU, and it is most certainly
? contrary to the raison d'etre of this particular newsgroup.  If you want
? to provide a service and charge for it, it is only fair that you assume
? all of the costs associated with providing that service, INCLUDING
? publicity.

? This newsgroup exists for the FREE interchange of ideas, suggestions and
? pleas for help, in the GNU philosophy.  People should not have to wade
? through advertisements in order to solve their problems.  Please, let's keep
? advertisements in the paid media, and keep this group in the spirit of GNU.

Yeah, and lets get those crass money-grubbing announcements from the Free
Software Foundation out of here too :-)

Seriously, how did their prices compare with FSF? If I had two tape drives
on one system I'd probably go into the cloning business myself.

There is a fine line here. If their prices are "reasonable" (a la FSF),
then by "advertising" here, they keep their (and our) cost down. If their
prices are "commercial" (say, $1000/tape), then to hell with them, and
they can advertise in a real magazine.

? Thanks

	(Root Boy) Jim Cottrell	(301) 975-5688
	<rbj@nav.icst.nbs.gov> or <rbj@icst-cmr.arpa>
	Crackers and Worms -- Breakfast of Champions!