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Re: lynx-dev Licensing Lynx: Summary (Repost with a few typos correcte


From: Brett Glass
Subject: Re: lynx-dev Licensing Lynx: Summary (Repost with a few typos corrected)
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 1999 14:43:52 -0600

At 08:54 PM 10/6/99 +0100, RobertM wrote:

> > For example, there's no good way that I'm aware of to get PINE to
> > speak!
>
>So don't use pine?

You don't have to, if you can use a browser and a Web-based e-mail
service such as Yahoo!.

> > >I would assume they'd still be able to send e-mail ro read news, 
> > I wish we could assume that, but we can't. However, with the Web
> > browser, it's possible to read news, do e-mail, and more. Getting
> > the Web browser working solves a LOT of other problems.
>
>So adding mail reading capability to lynx would be one of your feature
>adds? 

No need. See above.

>I would put money on whatever you produce causing serious conflicts
>with other already existing screen reading software, 

If we encounter this problem (alas, there's not much existing screen
reading software, so we doubt there'd be much of a conflict), we'll
solve it.

> > Also, a "selling support" model has another severe problem: the 
> > better your work is, the more income you lose because people do 
> > not need much support! We want to be rewarded if our code is good, 
> > not because it is bad.
>
>This simply isn't true, if the code is good enough people will try to
>do more and need different help.

Not true, in our experience. They just won't buy support.

> > We also don't want to "nickel-and-dime" users to death. A 900
> > support line (besides giving most of the revenues to the telephone
> > company) would be too expensive for many of our users, especially 
> > those who were unemployed, underemployed, or elderly. And asking 
> > for a credit card is equally awkward and inefficient. Better to 
> > finance support from the sale price of the product.
>
>So sell support subscriptions, and training. 

People don't want "subscriptions." Users regard these either as a
form of lock-in or as pressure to buy something they do not need.
They want to call and get answers. I know; I've manned the phones.

>There are loads of
>ways to do support that wouldn't fall foul of the traps above. 

One shouldn't have to dodge "traps" -- which is what the GPL
is -- in the first place! There should be no need to work around
a scheme like the GPL, which is designed to sabotage software 
professionals.

--Brett


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