Stefan's headers [was:Names and identifiers]

[MRAB]

On 2018-06-11 20:17, Rick Johnson wrote:
> On Monday, June 11, 2018 at 1:02:15 PM UTC-5, Chris Angelico wrote:
> 
>> You're trying to argue against my hypothetical statements
>> about game publishing, and declaring that it's possible to
>> use software to encourage hardware sales. But my point was
>> that, absent copyright and the ability to make money from
>> software, software probably *would not exist*. Tell me, do
>> you go to a car manufacturer and buy the ability to use a
>> third-party dashboard? If the dashboard itself is
>> fundamentally unsaleable, and MUST be given away for free,
>> who other than the original manufacturer will produce one?
> 
> A dashboard is a horrible analogy.
> 
> Software and hardware are connected at the _hip_.
> 
> A more correct analogy to describe the relationship between
> computer hardware and computer software would be a car and
> an engine. A car is basically useless without an engine,
> and likewise for an engine without a car.
> 
I'm going to have to disagree with you there. The engine is also 
hardware. The software is more like the fuel.

> And yes, there are aftermarket engines sold by third parties
> and people buy them all the time to replace OEM engines.
> 
It doesn't matter how good the engine is (or how much you've upgraded 
the processor), because without the fuel (or software) it's just a large 
paperweight (or room heater). :-)