Rekall Binary

[R.Marquez]

root <Chris.Barker at noaa.gov> wrote in message news:<bsvel2$4n2$1 at news.nems.noaa.gov>...
> It looks like
> 
> TotalRekall sells the GPL version for 15 pounds:

That's my point.  (Any takers for $10?)

> 
> http://www.totalrekall.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=CCart&id=16
> 
> Which seems in keeping with:
> 
> "...small charge for Rekall binary distributions to cover our costs"
> 
> By the way, it's still not clear how strong a busness model it is to 
> give away GPL software and expect to make money off services. Have you 
> seen what RedHat is now doing?

How strong a buisness model is GPL software is a relative issue.  If
you mean making the kind of money that software developer houses used
to make in the BOS (Before Open Source) days then it isn't.  But you
just may be able to support your family on it and pay the rent (and
maybe even buy a modest house if you are really successful).  I see
nothing wrong with that.  This are hard times you know.

> 
> In any case, I don't think there is anything wrong with charging more 
> than distribution costs for a binary version of GPL'd program. Creating 
> binaries that work on various versions of various platforms and 
> providing a nice installer for them is quite a bit of work. 

True.  And that may be so in this particular project.  Still, if any
one offers a $10 version they'll sweep that part of the "business
model".  Not a very strong model in my opinion.  By going GPL, the
developers made a decision to leave the old BOS way of competing and
taking on the new one.

> GPL is about freedom: not cheap software. The idea is that it a good 
> thing for all involved for users to have access to source code. That is 
> very different than providing inexpensive software for folks that can't 
> figure out how to compile something (or can't be bothered). Those folks 
> will not be contirbuting to the p[roject, and will not be using the code 
> in their own projects.

However, those folks sometimes get the software into their companies
and demostrate to their peers how productive it is.  This in turn
sometimes results in the application proliferating on the enterprise
to the point where support is needed or desired by the CIO or the CEO.


> That being said, I'm very happy that I can get so much open source 
> software in nicely packaged binary (or easy to compile) form. I only 
> contribute to a VERY SMALL fraction of all the free software I use.
> 

But have you talked to others about it, or directly passed it on? 
That is, even in a very little way, contributing to the health of the
projects in question.