Xref: utzoo alt.security:1363 comp.society.futures:1981 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ra!Ra.msstate.edu!lush From: lush@EE.MsState.Edu (Edward Luke) Newsgroups: alt.security,comp.society.futures Subject: Re: Feedback on Computer Crime Message-ID: Date: 13 Aug 90 14:39:33 GMT References: <14443@wpi.wpi.edu> <9008081452.AA18175@stc06.CTD.ORNL.GOV> <5=25C=1@xds13.ferranti.com> <1990Aug10.035033.2122@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> Sender: usenet@ra.MsState.Edu Followup-To: alt.security Organization: MSU NSF ERC for CFS Lines: 37 In-reply-to: peter@ficc.ferranti.com's message of 10 Aug 90 11:53:37 GMT In article peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) writes: > #Some people *need* shrink-wrapped turnkey systems... and they > #*do* cost money to produce. > I agree that there are people who need turnkey systems, but I don't > see why they *need* a shrink-wrapped system. Also, you are prefectly > allowed to charge for GNU products, you just can't restrict > distribution of the sources. People need to be able to go into a computer store, put down money, and take a box home that they are reasonably assured of being able to load and run first time. That takes a lot of effort to produce from the typical component-stereo sort of freeware. Why go to that effort if someone can just take the sources, type "make", repackage it, and undercut you? Exactly! That is the idea behind GNU, maximum benifit to the USER. What you are saying just means that I will be able to buy software for a small amount over the distribution costs. Basically if you sell your packaged system for too high a profit level, someone else would come in and undercut you. True free enterprise. Now if you had shown yourself as particularly competent at consulting also, you should be able to up your stakes (profit), again good for the users since it motivates the suppliers to be competetive in terms of services with a minimum of re-invention. -- Peter da Silva. `-_-' +1 713 274 5180. 'U` Ed Luke Mississippi State University Research Center for Complex Field Simulations