Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ispi!jbayer
From: jbayer@ispi.UUCP (Jonathan Bayer)
Newsgroups: comp.emacs
Subject: Re: Gnu for profit?
Summary: our prices are reasonable
Message-ID: <344@ispi.UUCP>
Date: 10 Dec 88 15:32:23 GMT
References: <8812081600.AA18091@nav.icst.nbs.gov>
Organization: Intelligent Software Products, Inc.
Lines: 65

In article <8812081600.AA18091@nav.icst.nbs.gov>, rbj@nav.icst.nbs.GOV (Root Boy Jim) writes:
> ? From: David Lawrence <compass.UUCP!lawrence@eddie.mit.edu>
> 
> ? A recent posting advertised the distribution of GNU software by a
> ? company named ISPI, located in New York.
> 
> ? Although this is allowed for by the GNU General Public License, it seems
> ? inappropriate to me that a for-profit organization would avail itself
> ? of a "free good" (the net) to advertise their services.
> 
> ? I feel that this is contrary to the spirit of GNU, and it is most certainly
> ? contrary to the raison d'etre of this particular newsgroup.  If you want
> ? to provide a service and charge for it, it is only fair that you assume
> ? all of the costs associated with providing that service, INCLUDING
> ? publicity.
> 
> ? This newsgroup exists for the FREE interchange of ideas, suggestions and
> ? pleas for help, in the GNU philosophy.  People should not have to wade
> ? through advertisements in order to solve their problems.  Please, let's keep
> ? advertisements in the paid media, and keep this group in the spirit of GNU.
> 
> Yeah, and lets get those crass money-grubbing announcements from the Free
> Software Foundation out of here too :-)
> 
> Seriously, how did their prices compare with FSF? If I had two tape drives
> on one system I'd probably go into the cloning business myself.
> 
> There is a fine line here. If their prices are "reasonable" (a la FSF),
> then by "advertising" here, they keep their (and our) cost down. If their
> prices are "commercial" (say, $1000/tape), then to hell with them, and
> they can advertise in a real magazine.


Since we are the company in question, I feel obliged to respond.

Intelligent Software Products, Inc.  (ISPI)  is providing the tapes at cost.
While many will disagree with what the cost is, I will provide some of 
the figuring:


	The costs include a hookup with UUNET.  This hookup provides us with
the latest and most up-to-date versions of the software.  It is also where
we have our primary e-mail link.  We have received several responses via
the net.
	There is also the time and labor involved in making the tapes.  We also
have to worry about the wear and tear on the equipment involved.  A tape drive
that is only used once a week for backups will last much longer than one which
is used to make distribution tapes.

	Finally, the actual prices.  We are charging $ 125 per tape plus
shipping/handling.  International costs are higher, so we charge $ 175 for
that.  If anybody wishes to download the entire distribution from UUNET, even
if they use a trailblazer it will cost them between $ 100 and $ 150.  I don't
know what the FSF charges, but rumor tells me that it is more than our prices.

	We don't expect to make money on  this.  However, we also don't want
to  lose money.  Our prices reflect this reality.

	Finally, regarding the advertising  question.  Some people regard any
announcement as an advertisement.  I sent out one notice regarding the
GNU tapes.  Unless  there is a major change I will not send out any more on
this subject.  Those people who object can simply type "n".

Jonathan Bayer
Intelligent Software Products, Inc.