Re: [PubSoft] Flotation in a Legal Vacuum

At 01:11 02.02.2003 -0500, S Woodside wrote:
-------------------------
>Just a thought. You might say that since the long term goal is to become
>more wealthy

OK. As I said, the consideration applies for now - and the not too distant
future. And it applies for average users, not for situations, where one
would need specialized SW or related services. I assume, that once
Vietnamese SW users get wealthy enough, that paying for the right to use
some SW is financially viable, the gratis (whether libre or not) is a
viable alternative. Furthermore, as I also pointed out, it might well be,
that at that time there might still be no need to pay for non-free SW (or
only a small amount).

Consider a community some hundred years ago: Somebody might maintain the
single well and charge people for every liter of water, although the water
supply is unlimited. Some very poor people who have no chance to pay his
fees, sneak in by night and take some liters without paying him. Do they
act unethically? Especially, if the one who maintains the well made sure,
that nobody else can setup another well?

Nowadays, there is a piped water supply system. Yes, the well owner might
still charge money, if somebody would like to drink from his well. But what
prices could he achieve, if a better alternative is readily available?

> it's best to plan for that kind of eventuality now

Plan. Yes.

> and use the software libre instead of the software gratis.

First, from a SW user's point of view, there is no real difference between
"gratis only" and "libre". Either it does what (s)he wants it to do, or not.

Second: I don't see any logic in that. Why should I avoid use something
now, only because I will not be able to use it later? Especially, if that
one fulfills my requirements better than the alternative?

Why should I stop drinking free beer now - and drink water, just because I
know that the beer might run out in the future (which I am not even sure
of), while at the same time I assume, that the water will get wine later on.

Stefan

To facilitate co-ordination regarding the introduction of OSS SW in Vietnam

Subscribe to OSS:

Subscribe | Unsubscribe