RE: [TCLUG:3331] Windows NT pricing

[Christopher Palmer <reid@pconline.com>]

On Fri, 15 Jan 1999, Schlough, Mark (NM IT) wrote:

[snip freedom]

> > So why doesn't this apply to applications, too? ;P
> 
> Because applications are not part of the infrastructure, they run within
> it.

I think it makes sense to think of the basic tools (mail reader, Web
browser, word processor) as infrastructure.

> They also might contain sensitve information regarding business
> strategies/logic that are not to be made public.  Note: I am thinking of 
> financial information, possibly customer financial information, or
> business logic.  Having this information would put businesses at risk
> because other people could use this informatin agains them and possibly
> their customers. There are certain restrictions -- the details
> unfortuately escape me, am in IT y'know -- that are placed on financial
> institutions that are required to keep confidential information....well
> confidential.

Perhaps. (The same point could be made about military software.) But those
are special cases, and don't affect your average person printing out a
memo or term paper -- the situation Anthony was describing.

> Besides, Mr Torvalds has stated that the programmers get to decide
> how their code will be licensed, not the end users. 

Of course. But developers wanting me to use their software will need to
make it free before I'll touch it. In return, I promise to release freely
any software I write.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Christopher Reid Palmer : reid@pconline.com : www.pconline.com/~reid/