🚀 go-pugleaf

system@niuhep.physics.niu.edu writes:

>>> Note however that this is exactly how science works. Government
>>> decides what to fund, with tax money. Both capitalist and socialist
>>> societies have used this model; 

>>> it seems to be a clear winner in the marketplace of ideas.

>No, it seems to be a clearly useful model.  It does cause distortions,
>though not necessarily any worse that the distortions caused by market
>forces.

Exactly.
In the case of software, the distortions caused by market forces have kept
computer users, programmers and the DOJ unhappy for years.

>1) In many areas of science we have gone beyond the garage tinkerer/thought
>   experiment level
>2) the areas of science where corporations are willing to spend
>   money on basic research are limited.

Why?  Because the results of basic research benefit all of us and not just
the particular company who invested in it.  The state can use IP laws to
artificially subsidize investors, but this only highlights the limitations
of market economy.

>Science and society is (I think) best served by having both public and 
>private funding available.

Well said.

>I am not convinced a viable method of distributing public funding for 
>software development could be worked out.

Do you mean
(1) no viable method could be conceived in theory
(2) no such method could, under present political conditions, be implemented
?
Why?
--
Hartmut Pilch
http://www.a2e.de/phm/