🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <67237@nigel.ee.udel.edu> johnston@minnie.me.udel.edu writes:

   If GNU wants to give quality software away for free, that's fine --
   nothing's cheaper than free.  

   But if the software doesn't work, or requires me to spend alot of 
   time solving problems that I believe I could resolve more simply by 
   buying commercial software with professional tech support, well, 
   time is money.  

   -- Bill (johnston@minnie.me.udel.edu)

Yes, time is money, and we live in a free market economy.  You can
also use free software and pay for professional tech support.  In this
way, you can satisfy researchers and tech people who want to work with
the source and unsophisticated users or non-programmers who want a
black box that works consistently.

Because most companies do not release source, only they can support
the software.  Because most people assume they can only get good
support from the creator of a software package, they seldom seek it
elsewhere.  With open software where many companies have access to the
source, if users start demanding support options, commercial ventures
will sprout up to handle the business.

Last time I checked, Cygnus Support, which handles free software
development/support exclusively was doing quite well.
--
Bob Weiner				   rsw@cs.brown.edu
I speak only for myself.  No official positions here.