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From: phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: re: the GNU Manifesto
Message-ID: <902@amdcad.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 31-Mar-85 13:48:52 EST
Article-I.D.: amdcad.902
Posted: Sun Mar 31 13:48:52 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 1-Apr-85 04:09:23 EST
References: <7672@rochester.UUCP>
Organization: AMDCAD, Sunnyvale, CA
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> Plenty of things in life are
> free or of nominal cost, including being with friends, enjoying nature,
> listening to or making music, going to museums, reading books...
> Programs aren't free or cheap, but neither are automobiles, or for that
> matter, machine tools or cyclotrons.

That is the essence of rms's argument, that software is more like music
or books than automobiles. Assuming proper compensation to the authors
to avoid discouragement of creation, society will always be better served
by spreading software as widely as possible. I can give you a copy of
my software which is every bit as good as my version without losing anything,
I can't give you my automobile and still have one.

Is this dead horse well beaten yet?
-- 
 Preverted word of the day: tribadism, to rub

 Phil Ngai (408) 749-5720
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