Michael Crute schreef:
> On 10/15/05, Renat Golubchyk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
>> On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 04:43:18 +0600 Gentoo Shadow 
>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> 
>>> is it free to use for commercial purposes?
>> 
>> It's GPL.
>> 
>> 
> 
> After a fashion. Read the pricing page.
> 
> -Mike
> 
 I've gotta say, I would avoid this on general principle after reading
the pricing page (and the license):

> We are not Value Added Tax registered as the revenue is too small so
>  there is no VAT to pay within the EU. The EURO prices are the same
> as USD.
> 

However the *value* of the U.S. Dollar is not the same as the Euro, so
if you pay in Euros, you're actually paying *more* than the American
customers-- you might even still save money if you paid the fees to
convert to USD from Euros (since there's no VAT). It's not like PayPal
cares what currency you pay in, so it's within the realm of possiblility
that you could do that).


> What you will get
> 
> By paying for a download license for DansGuardian you will get:
> 
> * A nice warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing you are supporting Open 
> Source development and so all humanity. * A license to download 
> DansGuardian 2. * Free public non-commercial support via the mailing
>  list. * Free upgrades as they become available.
> 
> By paying for a download license for DansGuardian you will *not* get:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> * A guarantee of anything from me. * Commercial support. * 
> DansGuardian on any physical media. * Printed documentation.
> 

So I'm paying for what, exactly? Certainly not most of the features that
I would normally expect as a commercial customer (no support, no media,
no docs, no *guarantees*???? I mean, geez).

> Commercial Support
> 
> As of 1st Jan 2003, there is no commercial support available from the
>  author. This is due to a lack of time to adequately provide support.
>  Anyone who has purchased support will be honoured until 1st June 
> 2003. If you require commercial support, you have two possibilities:
> 
> * (a) Purchase a commercial version of DansGuardian which comes with 
> support such as SmoothGuardian. This is highly recommended software 
> and is the only commercial software using DansGuardian technology 
> that is officially endorsed. All other software using DansGuardian is
>  not official. SmoothGuardian has resellers all over the world who 
> will be able to talk to you in your timezone and bill you in your 
> local currency. * (b) Purchase support from an IT consultant in your 
> area. You are allowed to solicit for commercial support on the 
> mailing list.

So when I pay for the app, I don't get support unless I pay for support
from someone else. Riiiiiiiight. Will the author of this included Smooth
Guardian support me? I don't know... but I should know, before I shell
out at least 90 euros for this application.

Not to mention, if I'm paying the author money, why doesn't he have time
to support me? Or share his profits with someone to support me if he's
physically incapable for some reason? I find it unbelievable that the
author would expect me to accept these conditions (but then, people
accept a lot of conditions that I find unbelievable, chief among them
that it's OK and normal to reformat and reinstall your OS to solve a
relatively minor technical problem that the OS-- which you paid for--
does not allow you to fix in any other way. So clearly I am not normal
in my understanding of what constitutes a reasonable condition in this
regard).

Plus this insanely confusing license that does not really make it clear
what the rights and privileges that *I have paid for* actually are?

No, thanks.... thank goodness I have no need for this application.
Because I'd tie myself into a pretzel before using it, no matter how
much I needed it.

Holly
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