Re: Issues as of late

["vector" <root@localhost>]

"Greg Andrzejewski" <pressyourluck85@yahoo.com> wrote in message 
news:jm%Jd.715$UN1.541@news.itd.umich.edu...
>
> Again, it's not my decision to make how new software is distributed. Maybe 
> the author needs justification for the hours hammering out lines of 
> assembly that could have been better spent on work or school. I wanted to 
> pirate a copy of Harmonie. It would have been easy, too. But I realized 
> that by paying for it that I am showing Joe Kohn and Bill Heineman that 
> there still are those who use Apple II computers and appreciate the work 
> being done to further extend the platform. Also, I feel good giving those 
> with the power to do so the incentive to create more pieces of fine 
> software.

It seems to me that ongoing commercial software sales for retro platforms is 
a tarnish at best, an insult at worst.  Software comes in two flavors: old, 
and new.  For old software, please admit that your product has seen the end 
of its viable commercial lifespan and release it to the community.  There is 
no more blood to be squeezed from that stone.  For new software, why are you 
demanding compensation for your work?  Just what is it you want compensation 
for?  Your time?  If you don't enjoy what you do, why are you troubling 
yourself to do it?

Allegedly, we retro computing enthusiasts have a passion for these old 
systems.  But compare us to the Linux community.  The majority of developers 
in that world volunteer their time to create high-demand applications that 
are stable, powerful and wonderful, only to give away the end product for no 
cost.  As a business model, that's the exact opposite of charging money for 
retro software.  They're creating high-demand products and giving them away 
for nothing.  That's the sort of passion I expect from the retro community, 
but I just don't see it.

Of course, some of you are probably stammering now, "But Marinetti is on 
SourceForge!"  And you're right.  That's *exactly* how it ought to be. 
Richard Bennett-Forrest, Andrew Roughan, Tony Diaz, you guys rule.  My point 
is: why isn't it all like that?