From: Christopher F. <cg...@re...> - 2002-06-05 04:26:44
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On Mon, Jun 03, 2002 at 12:56:14AM -0600, Philip Bock wrote: >On the other hand, it takes just as long to write a piece of software that >will be used by one person as it does to write the same software for a >million people, assuming the end product is the same. I understand your argument but this part isn't true. Software that I write for myself doesn't have to be documented. It doesn't have to be feature complete. For instance, I can live with the fact that running my highly useful program 'foo' without an argument will generate a core dump. It doesn't make sense to release code like that to the world, though, unless you like getting bug report email. Software that I write for others either has to be relatively feature complete or I have to be committed to maintaing it or it 1) won't be used, 2) will result in lots and lots of email, or 3) will results in lots and lots of email. There is a substantial extra step involved in making your software available to the world if you want to do it in any significant way. If you just want to write a calendar program, put it on a web site and ignore all complaints, download problems, and feature requests, then, sure, you're involved in the free software movement, but not in any significant way. >Thus, the free software economy can support an unlimited number of >"slackers" so long as distribution media are somehow payed for. It sounds like you are again ignoring the support aspects of free software. That is really where much of the effort lies. It's fun to write software but it's work to support people using it. It's easy to give away your time writing the fun programs, it is not so easy to wade through the email from people who are trying to use the software. >So until we'll *all* agree to work for zero reward, except that of peer >acceptance, we'll have to find anotherr way to pay for our groceries. > >It's a shame, though. I would happily write code to give away for the rest >of my life if someone else would feed me in return. :) But, as I said, giving away the code is only a one part of the process... cgf |