From: munroe@dmc.com (Dick Munroe)
Newsgroups: rec.photo,gnu.misc.discuss
Subject: Since when has programming been free? (was Re: Time to boycott Photo CD
Date: 2 Sep 92 07:18:20 EDT
Followup-To: rec.photo
Organization: Doyle, Munroe Consultants, Inc., Hudson, MA

In article <FRIEDMAN.92Sep1184721@nutrimat.gnu.ai.mit.edu>, friedman@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Noah Friedman) writes:
> In article <1992Aug31.134159.9893@pica.army.mil> SteveWall@aol.com (Steve Wall) writes:
> 
>>                                                 If a programmer doesn't like 
>>the way patents affect his freedom, he's welcome to find a career more 
>>suitable to his ethical/political standards.  
> 
>    Once upon a time, programming was such a career.  Why should we have to
> throw it away?

I beg your pardon, but programming has NEVER been such a career.  It has ALWAYS
cost money, until recently LOTS of money, to indulge in a programming career.  I
started as a professional programmer in the mid 60s.  The typical cost of a
machine was on the order of $1M.  While I felt that the machines I worked with
were MY toys the people who paid for them certainly had a right to expect a
return on their investment.  Of course a lot of the work I did was government
funded and, by definition, in the public domain.  Even so, the ROI for most of
this work was PUBLICATION.  We NEVER gave things away until we had achieved a
"profit".  Publication made us better able to compete in the next round of
funding.

Then came the 70s and, thanks to DEC, machine prices dropped by a factor of 10
or so.  Still WAY beyond most of us, but a few people could (and did) purchase
private machines and develop good products.  These folks STILL wanted a return
on their investment.  After all, they had spent THEIR money and time.

Now, machine prices have dropped by another factor of 10 or so and its
realistic for people to pursue a programming career in which they do good
works, give all their intellectual property away, and starve.  I don't have a
problem here, this time it's THEIR money and time not someone elses.  Don't
misinterpret my position here, I believe effort should be expended for the
common good.  I think the GNU tools make the world a better and easier place to
develop software in (well, sometimes, anyway).  But its tough to make a living
relying on the kindness of strangers.  Which IMHO is what the GNU effort has 
to do.

Having said all this I'm still not going to give away my products for two
reasons: first, my capital investment is about $250K in equipment and software 
(mostly equipment) and I want to make that back plus a lot for my time and
effort.  Second, I like all the toys money can buy (like medical insurance,
skis, mortgage payments, flying lessons, movie tickets, etc.) too much to be
that generous.

In short, you can do anything you want to with YOUR money and time, but you
CAN'T do anything with MINE.
-- 
Dick Munroe				Internet: munroe@dmc.com
Doyle Munroe Consultants, Inc.		UUCP: ...uunet!thehulk!munroe
267 Cox St.				Office: (508) 568-1618
Hudson, Ma.				FAX: (508) 562-1133

GET CONNECTED!!! Send mail to info@dmc.com to find out about DMConnection.
Xref: sparky rec.photo:15104 alt.cd-rom:2836 gnu.misc.discuss:2801 misc.int-property:893