Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!super!udel!princeton!njin!rutgers!mcnc!thorin!unc!bell From: bell@unc.cs.unc.edu (Andrew Bell) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Software Development And Piracy (somewhat lengthy and hot s Message-ID: <5820@thorin.cs.unc.edu> Date: 11 Dec 88 02:22:28 GMT References: <5866@louie.udel.EDU> <1341@leah.Albany.Edu> <3071@sugar.uu.net> <12399@cup.portal.com> Sender: news@thorin.cs.unc.edu Reply-To: bell@unc.UUCP (Andrew Bell) Followup-To: comp.misc Organization: University Of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Lines: 68 In article <12399@cup.portal.com> dan-hankins@cup.portal.com (Daniel B Hankins) writes: >Information should be free. Why? Information you create can be free if you wish it. I have seen this before, and still don't understand this opinion. When is information created that would have been created even if it were to be "free?" Every person is perfectly free to create whatever software they wish in their own free time without getting paid to do so. >Software authors should be compensated for their work. Agreed, assuming it is worth such recompense. The free market tends to be one of the best determiners of such. >How do we reconcile the two? Today, pirates live the first and tell themselves >little white lies about the second. Authors live the second and try to stop >the first. The two concepts exist in a constant state of conflict. >The two can cooperate to create a society where technological progress is >double (a very conservative effort) what it is today. Again, why? Because people will work together more? Again, you're still free to work with whoever you like. What is the big difference between directly compensating the software authors and buying programs? Despite piracy, there really isn't a better way to compensate authors. >Information can be >free while authors (and even software companies) make money. However, >those who are less than excellent are quickly weeded out by such a system. >It is difficult to hide kludges when the source is free. What system? Tax people to pay software authors? I have yet to see a solution, just two seemingly incompatible goals. >Will it happen? Highly unlikely - unless a grass roots movement can be >started to seed the idea. >If I get enough mail on this, I will post the idea to the net soon. I may >anyway. I've never read it, but I suspect the idea is similar to Stallman's >GNU Manifesto. Why post this without telling us the magic system? From what I know, it's relatively similar. I believe Stallman feels that programs for the mass audience should be freely available, and programmers can make money doing specialized applications for employers who need such. Consultant fees are a major source of his income. As such, he and his are doing just that with the whole GNU project. >In a society where 90% cooperate, the 10% who maintain secrecy will be left >behind. Unfortunately, shareware authors will tell you just how many cooperate. There is a perfect example of what happens when information is truly free, but authors should be compensated... the isolated successes of programs like PC-Write aren't indicative of the entire system. >Dan Hankins ------ Andrew Bell, living a double life at bell@cs.unc.edu and acb@cs.duke.edu "Why can't we ever attempt to solve a problem in this country without having a 'War' on it?" -Rich Thomson, talk.politics.misc