It's good that you are prepared to give your software away for free,
Simon, but there is another side of the coin.
I myself have written a number of ham radio programs (several of them
are also free.) A couple of them, HFProp and K2Net, have been quite popular.
I often receive requests for enhancements of these programs.
Unfortunately, because I currently spend long hours at the computer
earning a living, I have little inclination to freely give my own spare
time (what there is of it) to satisfying those requests. I rarely even
get on the air these days.
If I could earn some of my living from selling those ham programs, I
could spend more time developing them. However (as you well know) I was
roundly criticized when I attempted to defend the rights of hams who are
programmers to charge for their products if they wish.
Hams are fortunate to have many good free programs to choose from, but I
am sure they would have a greater choice (and maybe a choice of some
better programs) if they were more willing to pay for them.
Just my 2 pence worth.
73,
--
Julian, G4ILO
G4ILO's Shack: http://www.tech-pro.net/g4ilo
Simon Brown wrote:
Would you send someone an invoice if you were to spend an afternoon
helping them put up antennas?
One of the great things about software is that it is written once,
installed a thousand times. As a provider of free software I enjoy
putting something back into the hobby, goodness knows I took enough out
while starting off in 1973/1974.
If Amateur Radio is to survive (which I am sure it will) and move
forward good software is essential, just look at the SDR products. The
cost of good software is too much for a small hardware company, so to
get off the ground open source or at least freeware is maybe the only
option.
My two centimes anyway...
I am a sort-haired, dog-walking software engineer :-)
Simon Brown
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