From owner-freebsd-chat Thu May 14 22:28:32 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id WAA12788 for freebsd-chat-outgoing; Thu, 14 May 1998 22:28:32 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from stratos.net (pm3-1-16.stratos.net [207.86.132.16]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id WAA12772 for ; Thu, 14 May 1998 22:28:18 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from drifter@stratos.net) From: drifter@stratos.net Received: from stratos.net (localhost.net [127.0.0.1]) by stratos.net (8.8.8/8.8.5) with ESMTP id BAA16928; Fri, 15 May 1998 01:11:18 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <199805150511.BAA16928@stratos.net> X-Mailer: exmh version 2.0zeta 7/24/97 To: "Michael Rice" cc: "FreeBSD Questions List" Subject: Re: commercial software In-reply-to: Your message of "Thu, 14 May 1998 18:14:37 MDT." <018901bd7f96$72f7b420$6e00cbc0@rice-home> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 01:11:18 -0400 Sender: owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org [Redirected to freebsd-chat] On Thu, 14 May 1998 18:14:37 MDT, "Michael Rice" wrote: > I couldn't disagree more. > > If I need some software to get a job done, I don't mind paying for it. The > creator of the software deserves to get paid for providing that software. > By buying the software (as opposed to pirating it), I am helping another > human being...I'm helping him earn a living and providing him/her incentive > to create more and better software. > > I do use quite a bit of freeware, thanks to all the gracious authors. > However, I am a capitalist to the bone. I love to see new and innovative > products in the commercial world; I also love to see the creators of those > products rake in as much $$$ as possibile - they deserve it. > > What you speak of just reeks of Socialism. > > BTW, I _love_ Microsoft products and I think Bill Gates is King. > > Michael Rice You think Michael Rice is part of the "grass-roots" pro-Microsoft movement :) Hey Mike: politically, I agree with you. "Freeing yourself from Businessmen" may appeal to some, but considering the fact that we wouldn't even be /driving/ if it weren't for evil businessmen taking risks and selling things (Henry Ford), I happen to think capitalism is a good thing. Of course, Bill Gates is no Henry Ford. (And don't tell me computers give you more freedom than automobiles... I happened to be old-fashioned in this regard.) I guess the thing that bothers me is that for people on the outside looking in, this whole anti-Microsoft thing looks pretty similar to a bunch of anti-smoking zealots going after Tobacco (and I don't work for Big Tobacco or smoke, in case your wondering. But here in Ohio, if one state Senator has her way, there will soon be a bunch of 20-year old's "gettin' busted" for smoking /under-aged/. The next thing you know, the drinking age will be raised to 25... I am ranting, sorry) Statements like "Bill Gates makes enough money already" aren't really the issue (It's no one's damn business how much money he makes -- it's a free country.) I'm not a real technical guy, but I like FreeBSD. I like the flexibility and stability it offers. And I like the atmosphere of FreeBSD and UNIX in general, because people here respect your intelligence and and don't patronize you with self-promoting, just-a-click-of-the-mouse "Tips and Tricks" for moving icons, or whatever. Frankly, I think FreeBSD is /better/ than Microsoft. That's the reason why I subscribe to this mailing list, not because Ralph Nader (Nadar?) is my best friend. :) (Boy, am I going to regret writing this in the morning! That's what you get when a former Political Science major tries to commentate on the state of the computer industry. Sorry guys :) -Rob -- drifter@stratos.nospam.net (remove nospam to send) "Ever notice that in every commercial about the Internet, advertising geniuses can't resist having a bunch of kids staring into a monitor, awe- struck, looking at a whale jumping out of the ocean? Or is it just me?" To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message