Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!cornell!batcomputer!pyramid!thirdi!peter
From: peter@thirdi.UUCP (Peter Rowell)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: GNU Ramblings, Unix thoughts.
Summary: No such thing as free lunch.
Keywords: Gnu Unix Operating Systems Compatibility Support 4.3BSD
Message-ID: <302@thirdi.UUCP>
Date: 9 Jan 88 19:09:41 GMT
References: <1351@sugar.UUCP> <850@elmgate.UUCP> <5166@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>
Reply-To: peter@thirdi.UUCP (Peter Rowell)
Organization: Third Eye Software, Palo Alto, CA
Lines: 35


I believe Randy Martens' point of support was not that *any product*
which is supported is desirable from a commercial viewpoint, but more
specifically that a supported product based on a *recognized standard*
is desirable.  His analogy about the car made the point that the
manufacturer created a standard by which to measure all products
meant for that particular model.

Although it is true that any random company can aspire to create an
industry standard, the reality is that very few of them have the
credibility to actually have other companies (including their
competitors) acknowledge it as a standard. (E.g. Sun's NFS, e.g. AT&T
System V).

It is one thing for Stallman to say, "Hey! Here's this free software!",
and quite another thing for AT&T or Sun or IBM to say, "Here is what we
are supplying to 10,000 (or 1,000,000) customers.  If you would like
to sell into this customer base, you should consider using our standard."

Customers (and developers) have a lot(!) to do with whether a standard
actually takes hold.  If people will not build or buy products which hove
to a given "standard", then the "standard" is either a joke or a hobby -
it is not something you base your company's future products on.

IF GNU ends up being POSIX conforming AND IF a company selects it AND
IF that company supports their customer base THEN it may get
recognition - not because it was free, not because you can get the
source, but because it met a recognized standard and was supported.

Flame away, gentlepeople.


Peter Rowell				Third Eye Software, Inc.
"You will need a larger rock."		...!pyramid!thirdi!peter
					(415) 321-0967