On Thu, 09 Nov 2000 16:47:52 John S. Gage wrote:
...
>If this list could do nothing except create a bullet-proof,
>generic business plan for medical open source, it would have done
>enormous good.
Good point John! Unfortunately, there is no "bullet-proof" business plan - just look
at all the .COM disasters. Furthermore, business plans tend to be proprietary and
major sections of the plan - i.e. the business process - tend to get patented.
Therefore, unless we copyright business plans and release them under GPL, we face the
same or even greater risk of being "ripped off" :-).
I think the only way that this will ever work is for us to embrace the benefits of and
work hard towards being ripped off. That means we design and produce code to allow
and encourage others to use them. That means helping companies make tons of money
from our work.
Before I decided to release OIO under GPL, I had to convince myself (and my wife) that
even if a company uses the OIO to make a successful, proprietary product, without
giving a penny or credit - that would still be a desirable outcome.
I don't agree that GPL is meant to prevent being "ripped off". Rather, I think it is
a method of encouraging collaboration. Collaboration means that someone must first
get ripped-off - with *hope* that there will be reciprocity, not *requirement*.
Using myself again as an example - I definitely have used more "free" software than
what I have contributed.
Therefore, I am a good example of someone who have "ripped off" more than than
contributed. Perhaps there is some truth to "give and you shall receive".
Of course, that means working towards being ripped off.
Just my 0.02 dollar.
Andrew
---
Andrew P. Ho, M.D.
OIO: Open Infrastructure for Outcomes
www.TxOutcome.Org
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Psychiatry, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
University of California, Los Angeles
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