At 08:17 AM 7/10/2003 -0700, you wrote: > > What if there is a market for the software, but it > > isn't yet available? > > Then who pays? If it's a single client then that > > client bears the total > > cost. If it is the entire marketplace then the cost > > per-client is much > > smaller. This is a benefit of mass-marketed > > commercial software. > >Commercial software will probablly find the market and >fill the need before Open Source if the market is big >enough to support the development effort. However, >there are alternatives.
True. >1) Members of the market can request help via >SourceForge, slashdot, etc. Payment, if necessary, is >shared by the participating members of the market. Payment in this scheme seems to be by those supplying rather than demanding the software. :) >2) Members of the market can request grant and request >proposals from programmers. The cost is covered by >the granting institution. This is certainly possible. However, I would rather the market fix this issue and not public institutions or non-profit organizations. In general I think the market trumps government in terms of economic efficiency. (I will of course be the first to admit that economic efficiency is not always the most important objective.) Jim, would you prefer the government take over this process? >3) Bake Sale! That is honestly a good suggestion. :) --- Dustin Puryear <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Puryear Information Technology, LLC <http://www.puryear-it.com> Providing expertise in the management, integration, and security of Windows and UNIX systems, networks, and applications.
