Xref: utzoo gnu.misc.discuss:510 alt.religion.computers:1091 Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!texbell!sugar!peter From: peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss,alt.religion.computers Subject: Re: GNUclear Warfare Message-ID: <4757@sugar.hackercorp.com> Date: 14 Dec 89 05:43:59 GMT References: <2558@flatline.UUCP> <4639@sugar.hackercorp.com> <25770F75.3EA@rpi.edu> <1913@texsun.Central.Sun.COM> <1989Dec7.075641.13191@news.acc.Virginia.EDU> <4754@sugar.hackercorp.com> <1989Dec13.213445.13639@world.std.com> Reply-To: peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) Organization: Sugar Land Unix - Houston Lines: 55 In article <1989Dec13.213445.13639@world.std.com> bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein) writes: > Now, consider for a moment "the other side". Like the SPA (Software > Publisher's Association.) I'm the other side. I'm not the SPA. I don't agree with their goals. There are two kinds of software, with two kinds of market. Commercial software, primarily oriented towards computer-naive users. And Free software, primarly oriented towards computer geeks. Each has their place. I have written a lot of both, myself. The GNU folks don't seem to understand that there's rhyme or reason to commercial software. > But at what point have the software vendors really established state > enforced monopoly businesses? When you can't write your own version of their software and sell it or give it away. Ask a hard one. Let's see you write a free IBM-compatible BIOS. But why should you? It's not of any interest to computer nerds. > That selling $2 floppies for $395 might just not be a completely > viable way to make a living (that is, without the police coming in to > hit people over the head with sticks if they don't pay the $395.) You're not talking about selling $2 floppies. If the pirates (yes, pirates) are so damn good, let them write their own freeware version of XYZcalc. If they can, they'll put XYZco out of business. Otherwise, XYZco has made a significant investment and created a new good that they wouldn't have created if they weren't going to make money at it. And GNU will never produce an XYZcalc clone. It's not cool. > Da, vee charge 50 rubles for a bottle of good state wodka and these > INGRATES make their own for 5 kopeks and von't buy ours! But they don't make their own. They steal it and sell it for 5 kopeks. > And I for one am getting quite disgusted with these companies' blatant > attempts to create state-sponsored software monopolies. And that's why I'm getting disgusted with folks like you who can't tell the difference between naive users... who need a hell of a lot of handholding (but don't want to pay for it)... and computer freaks. The only other solution is to make the software incomprehensible without a lot of real handholding and sell support. That's the society you're gonna create if you win. -- Peter "Have you hugged your wolf today" da Silva `-_-' 'U` "I haven't lost my mind, it's backed up on tape somewhere"