Re: The Hobby Lobby was Windows CE?

["Marin David Condic" <dont.bother.mcondic.auntie.spam@[acm.org>]

"Larry Kilgallen" <Kilgallen@SpamCop.net> wrote in message
news:89+wOKRxsgVW@eisner.encompasserve.org...
>
> 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.
>

Even if they were just selling it retail over the Internet and not dealing
with distributors/retailers, they'd still have all the problems I outlined.
(That was my interpretation of the original suggestion.) It obviously gets
more complex the instant someone tries to put it on store shelves.


> 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 ?
>
I don't know about contributing to a fund, but I might be willing to become
an investor. :-)

There *might* be ways of getting an Ada compiler some exposure in retail
outlets and they *might* not cost too much to do. However, figuring out how
to do that would require considerably more information than we've got so far
(we'd have to talk to a variety of retailers and understand
terms/conditions, etc.) and it would take a very creative, and imaginative
business plan.


> 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.

Why would you think in terms of donations? This would be a business venture
which would have to justify its existence based on return on investment. If
it can't succeed, then the donations are a supreme waste of money. If it
*can* succeed, then why wouldn't your hypothetical donators become
hypothetical *investors*?

Imagine I said "I'll start a business to sell retail Ada. You give me money
I can use to bribe the retailers into putting my product on the shelf. If
I'm successful, I'll make millions of $$$ and I'll promise to send you a
note expressing my undying gratitude. If I fail, you're out the money you
gave me and there's no retail Ada on the shelves." How many folks would go
for that deal?

MDC
--
Marin David Condic
Senior Software Engineer
Pace Micro Technology Americas    www.pacemicro.com
Enabling the digital revolution
e-Mail:    marin.condic@pacemicro.com
Web:      http://www.mcondic.com/