On 19 Mar 2004 at 12:21, Peter Graf wrote: (...) . > > One last remark. I've often been misinterpreted in a way that I'd want > _everything_ to become free software. This is not so, although I'd probably > never want any money for a piece of QL software that I write myself. >
Apart from one remark, I've deliberately shied away from the debate about Peter's offer, as I was afraid that this would go off into untoward directions. I find Peter's last remark here very interesting, though, as it strikes a chord on another subject altogether. It ties in a bit with Geoff's comment about a 1000 pounds work contract. Contray to Peter, I will always consider trying to sell my programs, or at least some of them (I hasten to add that this has nothing to do with SMSQ/E, which is not mine!!!!). For me, it is a question of commitment: if people buy my (or, indeed anybody else's software) for the QL, they still show commitment to the QL. They show that they care enough about the machine to put some of their money in it. If the software is totally free, this is no longer true. It is also a question of trying to subsidise the few traders we still have and without whom, I firmly believe, there would be no more QL community, period. (Although, I don't know how much giving them a program to sell isn't a poisend pill since, at least sometimes, it seems to cost more to produce/upgrade etc, than the money they get from the sales!!!!). So, if I have a program that I think could be sold , I'll always try to sell it. Any profit I make from it is reinvested in things QL.... Wolfgang
