From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,c62a5e526aafd9d4 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-09-28 08:12:08 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!chcgil2-snh1.gtei.net!chcgil2-snf1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!news.binc.net!kilgallen From: Kilgallen@SpamCop.net (Larry Kilgallen) Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: The Hobby Lobby was Windows CE? Date: 28 Sep 2001 10:12:04 -0500 Organization: LJK Software Message-ID: <89+wOKRxsgVW@eisner.encompasserve.org> References: <9onhgu$9h9$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <3BAF77E6.9BDE9102@adaworks.com> <9onvig$f6n$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <3bb05ee7.10496763@news.demon.co.uk> <5ee5b646.0109251818.5f6dd078@posting.google.com> <3bb1cfbd.18007503@news.demon.co.uk> <5ee5b646.0109271720.7d303e8b@posting.google.com> <3bb434af.3009367@news.demon.co.uk> <9p207h$dq3$1@nh.pace.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: eisner.encompasserve.org X-Trace: grandcanyon.binc.net 1001689928 29793 192.135.80.34 (28 Sep 2001 15:12:08 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@binc.net NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 15:12:08 +0000 (UTC) Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:13467 Date: 2001-09-28T10:12:04-05:00 List-Id: In article <9p207h$dq3$1@nh.pace.co.uk>, "Marin David Condic" writes: > I can understand the reason for not doing so. People sometimes think that a > business can do something at little to no cost when, in actuality there > *are* costs. For one thing, even though ACT may have a boxed edition of > Gnat, making it available at some price to the general consumer means you > have to dedicate staff to concentrate on satisfying that market. Someone has > to take the orders, ship the products, process the paperwork and in general > monitor that operation. Presumably ACT is presently guaranteed that every boxed set they ship goes to a genuine customer who pays money. In a retail environment they would have to do with "returns" and "credits" and "shrinkage". I don't know who gets caught holding the bag full of V.n boxed sets when V.n+1 comes out, but right now ACT does not have to deal with retailer animosity. While I think it would be great to see Ada on the shelves, I doubt that presently it could be done at a profit, especially when you add in the fees paid to retailers for shelf space. How many here would be willing to contribute to a fund to cover those costs ? Certainly contributions would _not_ be tax deductible as a charity contribution. What is the total amount that could be raised through such donations? If everybody who has posted to comp.lang.ada in the past year would contribute $1000 US, I don't think the result would cover a significant campaign.