Assuming Patrick's description of Miles's business plan is correct, I want to add that I think it is an interesting and inspiring model for selling free software. Does anyone know if it has been tried or described before? It's a nicer version, perhaps, of the "Sell it, Free it" model described at http://hecker.org/writings/setting-up-shop.
On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 6:23 PM, Patrick Anderson <agnuc...@gmail.com> wrote: > Mark Holmquist wrote: >> there's a dollar amount sitting between binary and source, > > He is keeping the binaries and source bundled together, > but is only distributing those *bundles* to people who pay. > > To some, the word 'code' is synonymous with 'source', > but sometimes programmers (such as Miles) use the > word 'code' to mean 'binary'. > > For example: > "free to further distribute all source and binary code" > > > >> "pay $X more for the source code during alpha and beta". > > This should probably read: > "pay $X more for the binary+source during alpha and beta". > > > What Miles is doing is temporarily withholding the bundles > of binary+source from the general public; only distributing > them to people who actually pay. > > Those who pay could also distribute their copies > > This is a strategy to get people to pay *early* for work that > is not yet complete. > > Paying before production is a profoundly important step > toward solving the mystery of how to compensate those > who want to build a Libre Planet. >