Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!ccut!wnoc-tyo-news!dclsic!sjc!spider!leia!harkcom From: harkcom@potato.pa.Yokogawa.CO.JP (Alton Harkcom) Newsgroups: comp.society.futures Subject: Re: A lot of stuff that's been happening lately. Message-ID: Date: 23 Aug 90 17:30:23 GMT References: <5A08161122060136-MTABWIDENER*Joshua.R.Poulson@cyber.widener.edu> Sender: news@leia.pa.yokogawa.co.jp Organization: Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. Lines: 32 In-reply-to: Joshua.R.Poulson@CYBER.WIDENER.EDU's message of 22 Aug 90 22:51:21 GMT In article <5A08161122060136-MTABWIDENER*Joshua.R.Poulson@cyber.widener.edu> Joshua.R.Poulson@CYBER.WIDENER.EDU writes: =}The software issue, I feel, is the same way. Software is licensed to users =}for their personal use. Users purchase the SERVICE of the software, just =}like users paying tuition are getting the SERVICE of our computer. I think =}that software developers are allowed to receive recompense for their work. But the problem is that it will become a product because the companies won't need to service it. You'll get bad quality software at expensive prices, leading some foreign nation to move in and take over the market. That is what legislation and all this look and feel bull**** are going to give the US... =} I =}feel that a certain amount of research is required to produce better =}workers for the future. And, it's nice to play with a game before buying =}it. And, it costs a lot to develop newer operating systems so how do you =}make up the costs. (See, ain't I lots of fun?) I thought most of the research was done in universities anyway. Or from the comments previous to this, the real research is being done at universities. The development costs of most software companies are very small. Most businesses find someone who has done something good on their own and crank it into shape then slap a humongous price tag on it because of all the work (ads, martinis, getting people laid, etc) that went into it. -- -- $@2#2OEE5!3t<02q