Re: Economics of "free" (was: RE: Field+ and Field Exit keys- Hot womake them repeat)

A lottery is a tax on people that are bad at math.

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 12:41:37 -0500, "jt" <jt@xxxxxx> said:
> | -----Original Message-----
> | [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of rob@xxxxxxxxx
> | Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 3:23 PM
> | Subject: RE: Field+ and Field Exit keys- Hot wo make them repeat
> |
> |
> | With that argument then open source isn't really free because
> | you've taken
> | away the productivity the person could have been spent elsewhere, like
> | seeing your ads on TV and purchasing your products.
> 
> BING!!!!  Exactly!!
> 
> And you might recall a post from Jay Maynard saying similar, back around
> last Oct/Nov.  (I didn't know, until I skimmed ESR's latest "Book" that
> Jay
> is a bone-a-fyd CELEBRITY, as he helped on one chapter of the
> "gospel"...;-)
> Jay and I have exchanged some posts on this subject on 2 threads here on
> M-L
> over the past year or two (and, Iirc, an e or two).
> 
> I don't recall that last topic and what was discussed in the thread, or
> if I
> participated or not.  But Jay's answer was one word (again Iirc) -
> "Advertising."
> 
> In case any of you don't know, those multiple-and-multi
> million-dollar-giveaways and such.  Sure SOUNDS like a free lunch, but
> it's
> micropayments by everybody who purchases the products, to make a few
> folks
> unimaginably rich...  Same concept as the lottos and casino's (except
> casino's (and lottos?), at least, ARE regulated, because the house CANNOT
> lose.. it's mathematically impossible).  SOUNDS like a free lunch, but if
> someone knocked on your front door and said they were taking a collection
> of
> $.01 from as many people as possible, and the proceeds collected would go
> to
> making one person SO rich that they could retire, how many would actually
> say okay??  At least with casino's and lotto's, there's some
> entertainment
> value.
> 
> 
> I started learning this as a teenager when my Dad explained the concept
> of
> "free" TV, and also why movie theatres had posted their billboard with
> "Keep
> free TV", back when cable was coming out in the 60's.
> 
> 
> | -----Original Message-----
> | [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of James Rich
> | Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 5:48 PM
> | Subject: RE: Field+ and Field Exit keys- Hot wo make them repeat
> 
> | On Mon, 23 Feb 2004, jt wrote:
> |
> | > I dunno, but I assume James meant CA...  Main point is there's
> | a mistaken
> | > economic view here, which is widespread:
> | > iSeries Navigator is "free" in the "Open"-Source-cult sense only.
> |
> | iSeries Navigator is not free in the open source sense.
> 
> I may have posted this before, James, but I want your boss to be happy.
> Iirc, you posted "my boss is happy when I have a smile on my face"...:-D
> However, iSeries Navigator is free in the "Open"-source-cult sense.
> 
> | You cannot access
> | the source code, much less change it and distribute it.
> 
> This has absolutely NOTHING to do with it, otherwise JDE, Lawson and
> other
> ERP packages would be considered "Open" Source, but without
> re-distribution
> rights.
> 
> | The "free" in
> | opensource terms is in reference to freedoms gauranteed to you in the
> | licensing,
> 
> You still have yet to appreciate the True GENIUS of RMS.  (And I don't
> bally
> about the word "genius" casually or loosely, EXCEPT One time in One
> letter I
> wrote to Mr. Gerstner long ago, for reasons that should be obvious.)
> 
> ===> By couching the whole GNU thing in terms of "freedom" and
> "democracy",
> Mr. Stallman was able to avoid Taft-Hartley regulation.  It's still a
> bunch
> of hype, but very effective hype nonetheless.
> 
> | not in terms of cost (either to you or to the producers).  It
> | is not so much the software that is free, but you.  You are free to
> choose
> | to act with the software in almost any way you choose.
> 
> This is a logic error.  The whole thing begins with a lie, which starts
> when
> RMS says "the author is a programmer".  The author is NOT a programmer,
> he's
> an academic who can write a program or two or three...  BIG difference,
> and
> it's a lie.
> 
> Again, an EFFective lie, because the world is turning into a place where
> ONLY academics will be ABLE to afford to program...  This has been a
> trend
> for some time, and it may come to fruition before too long, who knows. 
> Hans
> recently posted his view that implied (to me unfortunately) that only
> post-graduates have any business writing biz programs, for example, on
> RPG-L.
> 
> "Freedom" my butt.  The GNU license is almost entirely about IMPOSING
> RESTRICTIONS, if you observe closely.  "Democracy".. guess again.
> 
> 
> However, I would suggest we take Larry Bolhuis' previous suggestion, as
> this
> is some serious thread drift.  There is no need for David to waste his
> time
> moderating when others accurately point to when a thread has gone
> off-topic,
> imo...  If you care to, we can move any further discussion (if any) to
> another list, James.  I'm on CPF0000, Non-Tech and OSS lists, for
> example.
> 
> And, despite having said the above, I hope you and your boss have a good
> day, James!
> 
> | James Rich
> 
> "As for developing an OS, being lectured by Linus Torvalds is like
> receiving
> wise words on the subject of compassion from Stalin."
>       -- me
> 
> 
> 
> 
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