🚀 go-pugleaf

>>>>> On 8 Jul 91 12:59:46 GMT, mathew@mantis.co.uk (Industrial Poet) said:

> The problem with such a scheme is that it's much more expensive for the
> purchaser.

> Suppose the development cost for a piece of specialized software is $100,000.
> With your suggested way of working, company X has to pay programmer Y
> $100,000 to get a solution to the problem.  Nine other companies then grab
> copies of the software and use it.

Is there any a priori reason that the 10 companies who want something
done should not decide to cooperate in the beginning, agreeing to
divide the cost?

In the hoarding scenario: the potential writer of the program calculates
that n companies will buy the result.  Writes program, sells
(hopefully) n copies for 1/n the cost each.

In the GPL scenario: The potential writer of the software talks to n
companies, signs contract with them, writes code, charging 1/n to each
company.

There is a conflict here for the potential customers -- if I don't
participate and the program is written then I win, but if no-one
participates then everyone loses.  I think this is the games-theory
defect/cooperate dilemma and probably the benefits/losses are well
understood.  Anyone know this or should I look it up?

--tim