🚀 go-pugleaf

Axel Boldt wrote:
> 
> Joel Peterson <joel@odin-consulting.com> writes:
> 
> > In general, public funding of software development is a terrible idea.
> >
> > void Rant(beer) {
> >
> > Although some kind of tax distributed to software organizations might
> > initially help free software, eventually the tax distribution would be
> > diverted to whichever organizations provided the biggest bribes (or
> > lobbying, whatever it's called in your country) to the elected
> > representatives and/or non-elected professional beaurocrats running the
> > program.

This was obviously an exaggeration and were clearly marked as a rant.

> 
> Do you see that happening in science?

Yes.  I do see similar things happening in science.  What do you think
NASA (U.S.) has been doing since the original moon landings up until the
recent Mars probe?  A lot of the money shoveled into NASA went to fund
projects pushed by lobbyists, and not into actual science.  I think the
situation at NASA has improved a lot recently, and such things do tend
to go in cycles.

> 
> > A program of tax distribution would inevitably attract greedy people.
> 
> Do you see that happening in science?

Again, yes.  Usually in the form of subcontractors who lobby the
government directly for programs for which they will get contracts.

I would like to repeat that my statements were a rant and were meant to
be an exaggeration.  The real world isn't nearly as bad, but it isn't
perfect either.

-- 
Index of Alternative Operating Systems           http://www.indexos.com

Joel Peterson                                  joel@odin-consulting.com
President
Odin Consulting, Inc.                    http://www.odin-consulting.com