Re: Tools use off the repository

[karl@grebyn.com (Karl A. Nyberg)]

[ LtCol Frank Falgiano writes:
>
> The point is there is no such thing as a free lunch.  Reusable software
> requires work to keep it current and flexible.

"TANSTAAFL  - There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
			-- often attributed to Chuck Howell ]

One interesting comment made by Lt. Col. Courtwright (Terry - correct me if
I'm wrong here) at the Washington, DC SigAda Chapter meeting last Wednesday
(10 December 1986) was made with regard to use and commercialization of the
WIS software placed in the repository.  He stated that he (whether speaking
for himself, the WIS project, the DoD, etc. - I don't know) would have no
problem with contractors / vendors picking up the software that WIS had
developed and put into the public domain, investing additional work into
cleaning up the software, adding functionality, documentation, etc., and
then turning around and selling it back as a product.  I believe that he
mentioned in particular this route was being taken by several contractors /
vendors with regards to some of the GKS tools in the repository.

Thus, if you invest the effort to make the "free" software usable to you,
and perhaps to others, you might be able to recoup some of your investment
in this manner.  In cases where these tools were developed as a one-shot
program (i.e., where nobody's getting paid to support or maintain them now),
it might indeed be useful (and perhaps profitable) for somebody to pick up
the code and provide such enhancements and ongoing support.

There may not be any free lunches, but that doesn't mean they have to be
expensive.  A significant amount of investment has already been placed in
the initial development of this software, and can perhaps be leveraged
profitably.

-- Karl --

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