Subject: Re: why there are no free-CLIM or free-IDE? From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.net> Date: 30 Oct 2000 10:02:11 +0000 Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp Message-ID: <3181888931569122@naggum.net> * sungwoo@cad.strath.ac.uk | I just wonder that why there is no free CLIM or free IDE like a ACL | windows version? Because it takes a lot more work than people have been willing to put up, quite simply. This means that it most probably pays better to purchase the software than to build it. Keeping in mind that most free software is built by students who are not likely to make any real money (for anyone), anyway, it is most common to find free tools where free labor is available, too. The darth of free Lisp stuff is most probably caused by the fact that most Lisp programmers are much older than most of the other language's programmers, having graduated into Common Lisp from their early languages. Those who discover Common Lisp at a time when they are unable to pay the full price for a commercial license are actually lucky. It takes most programmers a lot more time to discover Common Lisp than that, such as having had to work with really painful tools, very slow development processes, etc. Many languages are sort of catching up, but Common Lisp and its environments are still years ahead of the pack in many ways. I'm not sure the increasing numbers of younger users are sufficient to make the necessary dents in the relevant statistics, though. #:Erik -- Does anyone remember where I parked Air Force One? -- George W. Bush