On Tue, 12 Sep 2006, Randolph D Garrett wrote:
I'm not sure what you mean, that retail sales of software is slowly becoming
history?
No. I mean that it is not relevant, except for slowing down commerce.
No. Get past the myth of selling copies of the same package over and
over. It was done for a while and was highly visible, but it is going
back out of fashion. Historically, it's an anomoly and not very
practical in the majority of situations.
What I am talking about is that software is a tool. It is a tool to help
with teaching or research. It is a tool to manufacture or re-sell.
Just as the sale of hammers is rather unimportant compared to what you do
with the hammers, the sale of software is rather unimportant compared to
what you do with the software. Now imagine how that difference would
amplify if hammers could be magically duplicate at little or marginal cost
or effort.
Selling software in Brick and Mortar stores? Those stores will
always be around though the form may change in a way.
Ecommerce is a NEW method of sales, not a replacement for Brick and Mortar
(aka: retail).
So called e-commerce is simply a continuation of traditional mail order.
It's neither new nor antiquated. In fact it's increasing in importance.
However, to get an idea about how well established an important mail order
has been in the past, look up the role of the Sears catalog in American
culture and economy. And no, I don't mean its role in replacing corn
cobs.
Despite the media's focus on the cult of Chairman Gates, selling or
leasing software is such a small and irrelevant part of the world's
commerce: Retail sales of software is an anomaly. It's not how things
were done in the past and people are realizing that it's not an effective
way to get things done now either. Rather, it gets in the way.
Yes, there will always be many (I hope there will) ways of distributing
software. However, the real productivity, and therefore money, is in
customizing the software or further development.
-Lars
Lars Noodén ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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