Re: Flames & Motivation for programmers

[mjmahon@aol.com (MJMahon)]

Alexander,

I assume from the wording of your reply that you are at
least partly responding to my post regarding market size
and programmer motivations.  Thanks for reading it!  ;-)

I, too, am a long-time Apple II programmer, and although
there may be quite a few of us left, there are certainly
_very_ few who could claim to make a living at it!

>First of all, most of the programs that we write are NOT, in first place,
>done for a so-called Apple II community, or to keep the Apple II alive or
>whatever you may think of. It is mainly because WE would like to see
these
>programs on our computers, show them to friends, demonstrate them at
>computer parties and so on.

Yes, and I feel exactly the same--my motivation is primarily to _do_
the thing, and secondarily to show it off and share it.  (I have a real
job for money!  ;-)

>A word about market: If we would do this COMMERCIALLY, we would not
>at all program the Apple II. There are so many easier ways to make money.

For sure!

>This gives a hint to the fact that piracy is very much like a hit in the
>face of a programmer.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean here.  If I have already had
the joy of doing it, then "piracy" is just a very effective way to
distribute
the software for purposes of showing off and sharing!

>                              Please get me right, I am not trying to
justify
>piracy, since it is really bad for people like Joe Kohn, who also have
>a lot of expenses when trying to sell software.

O.K.  But Joe is an interesting case.  He is not a software creator, but
a software distributor.  He charges to defray his distribution expenses,
while pirates contribute their time and costs without remuneration.
If the original creators are still being paid royalties, I can support
that.
But some of this is whining about people giving away what I want to
charge for--and neither party is responsible for the creation of the work!

I predict that within a year, or two at most, Joe will quit in a
combination
of disgust and desire for an easier way to make pocket money.  No doubt
this will be blamed on pirates, etc.  But, in fact, it's just market
reality.
Then who will be able to complain that they are being hurt?  (Of course,
there will still be a lot of people who are simply "right" or "legal" with
no consideration of appropriateness or pragmatism.

-michael

 Email:  mjmahon@aol.com
 Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/