Re: Changed to: Interactive Tax

Adam,

The "interactive tax" is a phrase used by folks that don't understand economics
and how that economics plays into a vendors pricing schedule.

It boils down to a user having two choices:
1) spend money in software development to abandon the 5250 data stream and
change to a client/server model
2) spend money on a "feature" to stay with the 5250 data stream

In either option the user spends money.  With option #2, IBM gets that money.
Therefore, some consider option #2 a "tax".

What gets some peoples goat is that the 5250 data stream was created for the
S/3x series of machines and changing to a client/server model will require more
labor to do the same job that was done with 5250.

More than likely that "client" is going to be a Windows based machine and we've
been spoiled for so long by the lack of problems with "green screen" 5250 that
we just don't want to go there.  Instead of getting over it and moving on, some
would rather pout and whine and call the cost of stagnation a "tax".

I've been trying to think of some non computer related story to tell that might
put it into perspective and the only one that I have personal experience with is
kind of lame, but here goes:

I used to own three vehicles that required 92->95 octane, with lead, fuel to
operate.  When the states changed to unleaded fuel I had a choice to make.  Pay
money to convert the engines to run on unleaded fuel -or- every time I bought a
tank of gas, also buy a lead additive. (or add a little 105 octane airplane fuel
<g>)

I could have labeled that additive as a "tax" to keep things the way they always
were.  After all, the additive comes from the same company that sold the
unleaded, and abandoned leaded, fuel.

So each time I bought the additive, I got something more.  I got bitching
rights.  I'm over it now.  I still have one vehicle that used the high octane
leaded fuel, but I had the engine converted.  Now, instead of bitching, I just
sigh and remember when.




> | -----Original Message-----
> | From: midrange-l-admin@midrange.com
> | [mailto:midrange-l-admin@midrange.com]On Behalf Of Adam Lang
> | Sent: Friday, December 28, 2001 11:12 AM
> | To: midrange-l@midrange.com
> | Subject: Re: Changed to: Interactive Tax
> |
> |
> | Can someone just give me a quick synopsis of this Interactive Tax always
> | being brought up?
> |