🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1989Dec13.213445.13639@world.std.com> bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein) writes:
> Now, consider for a moment "the other side". Like the SPA (Software
> Publisher's Association.)

I'm the other side. I'm not the SPA. I don't agree with their goals.

There are two kinds of software, with two kinds of market. Commercial
software, primarily oriented towards computer-naive users. And Free
software, primarly oriented towards computer geeks. Each has their place.
I have written a lot of both, myself.

The GNU folks don't seem to understand that there's rhyme or reason to
commercial software.

> But at what point have the software vendors really established state
> enforced monopoly businesses?

When you can't write your own version of their software and sell it or
give it away. Ask a hard one.

Let's see you write a free IBM-compatible BIOS. But why should you? It's
not of any interest to computer nerds.

> That selling $2 floppies for $395 might just not be a completely
> viable way to make a living (that is, without the police coming in to
> hit people over the head with sticks if they don't pay the $395.)

You're not talking about selling $2 floppies.

If the pirates (yes, pirates) are so damn good, let them write their own
freeware version of XYZcalc. If they can, they'll put XYZco out of business.
Otherwise, XYZco has made a significant investment and created a new good
that they wouldn't have created if they weren't going to make money at it.

And GNU will never produce an XYZcalc clone. It's not cool.

> Da, vee charge 50 rubles for a bottle of good state wodka and these
> INGRATES make their own for 5 kopeks and von't buy ours!

But they don't make their own. They steal it and sell it for 5 kopeks.

> And I for one am getting quite disgusted with these companies' blatant
> attempts to create state-sponsored software monopolies.

And that's why I'm getting disgusted with folks like you who can't tell
the difference between naive users... who need a hell of a lot of
handholding (but don't want to pay for it)... and computer freaks.

The only other solution is to make the software incomprehensible without
a lot of real handholding and sell support. That's the society you're gonna
create if you win.
-- 
Peter "Have you hugged your wolf today" da Silva <peter@sugar.hackercorp.com>
`-_-'
 'U`  "I haven't lost my mind, it's backed up on tape somewhere"