Re: SAL, Auto_Text_IO release

[Stephen Leake <stephen_leake@acm.org>]

M E Leypold <development-2006-8ecbb5cc8aREMOVETHIS@ANDTHATm-e-leypold.de> writes:

> Stephen Leake <stephen_leake@acm.org> writes:
>
>> M E Leypold <development-2006-8ecbb5cc8a-REMOVETHIS@m-e-leypold.de> writes:
>> 
>> > Some of us are still stuck with 3.15p. We can't GPL our customers code
>> > and being so small we can't pay the ACT support. 
>
>> How small can you be to not afford $15k/year? 
>> I've never worked for a small company (I work for the US
>> government), so I have no experience with this.
>> But it seems to me that if you are paying two people's
>> salary, then you aught to be able to afford 15k for a very important
>> tool. 
>
> Stephen, I'm not discussing nature or size of my business on
> usenet. The point I made in another post was, that entry-costs of
> $15000 are quite a hindrance in bootstrapping any business in Ada
> software (development) _gradually_.

Well, ok. I'm still in the dark. I can't imagine trying to start an
actual profit making business on less that $15k. But I guess that's
why I'm working for the government :).

>> > Would you, in the light of that situation perhaps, I ask humbly,
>> > consider, to also link the old versions (the last with 3.15p-Support)?
>> 
>> I'm not sure what you mean by "link".
>> 
>> If you mean "keep the .tar.gz files on your website", I suppose I
>> could. 
>
> Yep, that I mean.
>
>> But that implies some level of support, which I don't want to
>> do. 
>
> Well, I don't think it does. You could even state that explicitly.

As others have pointed out, people make all kinds of unwarranted
assumptions about things posted on the web, even in the face of
explicit statements to the contrary.

>> It's just as easy for you to keep those files on your machine.
>
> It is and I have them. I only thought (suggestion only) it would be
> good practice if/when you introduce incompatible changes in a piece of
> software, it would be good practice to keep the older versions
> available for some time. I imagine that there are still a lot of users
> of 3.15p out there, especially on windows (but also on Debian: If one
> doesn't want to replace the compiler that comes with the system).

Hmm. I suppose if I had an active user community, and a goal of
growing that community, that would be a concern. In fact, I am not
aware of any users except myself and my team at work, and my only
concern is making the library most useful to us. That means taking
full advantage of Ada 2005.

Posting SAL on the web is partly egoizing, partly general Ada
awareness boosting.

>> If you _didn't_ keep a copy, then you need to seriously reconsider
>> your backup plan!
>
> Stephen, please don't lecture me. I'd prefer discussion at eye
> level.

I apologize if you took offense. I took your request as an indication
that you might not have a backup of your own. I have encountered
people who have made exactly that mistake (with a different package of
mine), even when their actual jobs were relying on it. My statement
was also intended for any other users of SAL, and of other packages
obtained without an explicit support contract involving sufficient
money to make it meaningful.

-- 
-- Stephe