Subject: Re: Kent, why do you use free software
From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.net>
Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 09:49:14 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp
Message-ID: <3226556969589075@naggum.net>

* Thomas Bushnell, BSG
| Among other things, ongoing maintenance is still necessary for software
| since the rest of the world continues to move on.  Image processors have
| to deal with new formats, mail processors with evolving standards, and so
| forth.

  But if you no longer have to pay maintenance fees, you have money to pool
  into purchasing the assets of the company with the other customers who
  are out on a limb -- and probably to re-hire at least some of the
  maintainers, too.  If the software was free, you have to start paying for
  support with money you did not previously have to pay for anything.

///
-- 
  In a fight against something, the fight has value, victory has none.
  In a fight for something, the fight is a loss, victory merely relief.