🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <7sLLeB3w164w@mantis.co.uk> mathew@mantis.co.uk (en font terrible) writes:

   mib@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Michael I Bushnell) writes:
   > The purpose of the FSF is not to write software that everyone can use,
   > but to promote the creation of a world in which we avoid the
   > tremendous costs associated with the current methods of selling and
   > marketing commercial software.

   What tremendous costs?

Here are three experiments you can conduct:

1: Go to a PC software store and count the number of dismal editors,
compilers, and debuggers.  While there are a few shining lights, the
others still manage to make a living, precisely because of the
software copyright system.  They are lousy and incompetent
programmers, and our society continues to support them.  That is a
pretty large social cost.

2: Pick up one of those lists of software you can get for your Unix
box.  Every time I see one, I am stunned by the number of dismal
editors, compilers, etc.  Large numbers of people get tricked (I can't
think of any other word that applies) into supporting these people,
who are lousy programmers, and little better than carnival shysters.

3: Go to the Lotus company in Cambridge, MA.  Count the number of
employees being supported.  Consider that Lotus has not had a single
successful product since 1-2-3 was released.  Symphony was a dismal
failure, and the improvements made over the years to 1-2-3 did not
require the huge number of employees being supported by the users of
1-2-3.  What is Lotus giving the world in exchange for all the money
the world is giving to Lotus?  Lotus *does* donate a significant
amount of money to many worthy causes in the Boston area.  I'd far
rather the huge money they take in (without offering anything new in
return) be donated directly, bypassing Lotus entirely.

	-mib