[thelist] [OT] Gift Culture on the Net: A Rant

Frank framar at interlog.com
Sun Aug 19 19:10:24 CDT 2001


>>  I've recently downloaded a freeware tag from the
>>  developer's exchange, and found it encrypted. Freeware.
>>  You can use it, you just aren't allowed to learn from
>>  it. Just what *is* this about?

>  It's about giving you something which saves you work.

>  Sounds like a gift to me.

It is indeed. From my point of view, it's a little bit like saying 
"Here's a free car for you. By the way, you can't have the keys, and 
may only drive it on certain roads. But you can have it."



>>  I can appreciate the fact that a developer took the time
>>  to give away some free work. Very nice of you. Thanks.

>  Wanna try that again without the sarcasm?

None intended.



>  And why not take the extra step and release the code
>  that goes along with it?

>  Um, because it's their choice? And you have the choice
>  as to whether to use it or to go for something else.

Absolutely true. But this doesn't address my befuddlement at the 
*intent* of encrypting free code and distributing it on a developer's 
exchange. (Which is really what started all of this. Lack of focus in 
an article is the very definition of 'rant' <g>)



>  You *did* ask the author if they'd share their
>  techniques with you, right?

>  And what was their response?

I did as a matter of fact. I've received no reply. My response was to 
brain it out, and to create a tag that does the same an more. You can 
find it at <http://www.framarstudios.com/Downloads/> on Monday morning



>>  I'm not suggesting that one give away the company
>>  jewels,

>  Not knowing what the author is about, or what the code
>  entails, can you be sure that the source code doesn't do
>  that?

That's a good point.



>>  I see that perpetuating the gift culture on the net as a
>>  positive thing. One has access to to a large variety of
>>  free tool, programs and learning resources. There's no
>>  catch.

>  For the person who gets the stuff, true. But for the
>  authors?

If there were absolutely no value involved for the giver, s/he never 
would have given to begin with.  The fact is however that we are all 
a giver or a taker at some point, and in a world of hundreds of 
thousands of devlopers it seems to me that the more we give each 
other, the more we support the mechanism for the betterment of 
technology as a whole. Where would we be right now if Larry Wahl 
hadn't given away PERL?



-- 

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Frank Marion                      Loofah Communications
frank at loofahcom.com               http://www.loofahcom.com




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