On Tuesday 25 December 2001 23:27, you wrote: > Doug Lerner wrote: > >What do people think about free vs commercial software in general? I > >myself don't object to commercial software. In fact, I work for a company > >that makes very high-quality commercial software with a great, loyal > >customer base. > > > >Surely there is nothing wrong with paying to have software supported and > >updated? > > > >doug > > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Wednesday, December 26, 2001): > >>MAndrakesoft is committed to free software. All the Mandrake Tools are > >>licensed under the GNU GEneral Public License and source is available. > > Well, commercial software for a specific purpose is OK. We are > attempting to prove that alternative business models that do not > restrict technical information _are_ viable. > > The linux distros that follow heavily commercial models are SuSE with a > proprietary installer, Caldera with per-seat licensing, and to a much > smaller extent, RedHat. Debian is pretty much GPL, as is Connectiva, > and I have no idea about Slackware, > > As for my own feeling. I could be working for more money somewhere else > as a developer or system administrator. I am with Mandrakesoft instead > because .... > > I think technical information belongs to the human race as a whole. > There is too much potential for a corporation to keep something secret, > or to buy out developments and restrict them because current technology > hasn't been milked dry yet. I personally know of an engine with two > moving parts, no pollution, constant torque from 0 to 10000rpm, and 40 > km/l kerosene and virtually no pollution. It was bought by a major > manufactutrer and promptly disappeared. There are disease cures that > are unprofitable to produce and so are squelched, as well. Somewhere, > technically savvy people needed to take a stand and show that profit > motive is not necessarily related to progress... That people also work > for love of the art and an inner sense of accomplishment. > > As to the actions of Microsoft and its predatory practices, I find them > the worst example of what is motivated by profit, something obscene and > reprehensible. > > Civileme > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exactly! -- Dennis M. registered linux user # 180842
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