Re: Use of the term "commercial" (was "Dec Ditching Ada?")

[kilgallen@eisner.decus.org (Larry Kilgallen)]

In article <dewar.842062414@schonberg>, dewar@cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar) writes:
> Larry said
> 
> You may ask why I should care, and I believe the answer is that with
> the GPL-support economic model, you are not making enough money for me
> to feel comfortable.  Regardless of how much money you may make, it is
> possible I would never feel comfortable.
> 
>    Curious. In your first sentence you worry about us not making enough
>    money, but then you immediately show this is not your real concern,
>    by saying that it would not make any difference if we did make lots
>    of money!

You are correct that that is inconsistent. As I said, inconsistency
is possible.  Inconsistency is a trait of the buying public :-)

>    Well to us, commerce, look it up, has to do with selling products
>    and trying on the one hand to satisfy customer needs, and on the
>    other trying to make some money!

But in the end, people do not look it up, they use their natural
language in a fashion to which they have become accustomed.  And
some even resent solicitations expressed in a different fashion.
(Not me -- quality of the software is more important that quality
of the marketing.)

>    The idea of strictly licensed software is simply one commercial model
>    for selling software services. The free software (note that the free
>    here refers to free as in free speach, not free as in free lunch!)
>    approach is another commercial model for selling software services.

And that service is certainly commercial in the traditional sense
of the term, but the GNAT software itself is not, as I see it.

>    There are now several software companies which use the free software model
>    for commercial support of high quality software, and they seem to be
>    reasonably successful. Time will tell.

And I hope for diversity in the economic models by which software can
be obtained.

>    As always in the world of commerce you choose the best product that
>    meets your needs and is consistent with what you can afford. But
>    the idea that there is a huge difference between paying $1000 for
>    the software and $200 for support, as opposed to paying $0 for
>    the software and $1200 for spuport really makes no sense. The
>    company involved makes the same amount of money, you pay the
>    same, and perhaps you get the sme level of service, or perhaps not!

There may be no difference in the end result, but I still believe there
is a mindset shift required for people to be confortable with a new model.
Using the old terms can make them think something amiss.

Using the old terms can also make them feel confortable with
the new concept sooner.

Your choice in this regard is obviously different from the one
I feel best, but how we each express things does differ.  That
there is commercial _support_ for GNAT is undisputed, but other
differences of expression are probably best discussed outside
C.L.A., lest we bore everyone else.

Larry Kilgallen
Anxiously awaiting VAX/VMS and Macintosh 68k as the missing platforms