Subject: Re: [OT] Re: Troll Tech [was Re: Sco vs. IBM]
From: David Woodhouse <dwmw2@infradead.org>
To: Larry McVoy <lm@bitmover.com>
Cc: Stephan von Krawczynski <skraw@ithnet.com>, jgarzik@pobox.com,
       lawrence@the-penguin.otak.com, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
In-Reply-To: <20030623133714.GB4302@work.bitmover.com>
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	 <20030621133831.GA10089@work.bitmover.com>
	 <1056358467.29264.41.camel@passion.cambridge.redhat.com>
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On Mon, 2003-06-23 at 14:37, Larry McVoy wrote:
> > Neither am I arguing that you, personally, should be trying to make a
> > living by support alone -- I'm merely observing a trend. 
> 
> And I'm pointing out that the logic on which that trend is based has some
> severe problems.  

Ah, but attempting to associate observed trends with actual logic is a
fruitless task attempted only by economists and loons :)

> I don't know about you, but I don't want to be part of
> a business who's business model is to ship incomplete or broken software
> and then charge to fix it.  

Well there we have a different viewpoint -- I work on kernel code where
it's generally accepted that new hardware renders old stuff obsolete
quite quickly, and particularly on _embedded_ stuff, where companies are
bringing out new toys which need Linux to support them all the time.

And even if my viewpoint were different I'm not convinced I agree with
you -- after all, this isn't a problem which is specific to Free
Software, surely? If you produce the perfect word processor or a car
which doesn't rust, you never get repeat business either :)

The continuation of the business depends, in _all_ cases, on the fact
that you add new features, fix bugs, etc. Unless you go into the rental
business, I suppose.

Now, if you were to stand up and declare 'Free Software and sales of
proprietary software are doomed -- everyone needs to lease their
software if they want their business to survive', I'd certainly have a
harder time arguing with you, although I'm not utterly convinced I'd
actually believe that either.

-- 
dwmw2

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