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List:       kde
Subject:    Re: InstallShield for KDE?
From:       "Robert A. Crawford" <crawford () kloognome ! com>
Date:       1999-11-09 20:20:08
[Download RAW message or body]

On Tue, Nov 09, 1999 at 09:00:29PM +0100, Dummy KDE-maillist wrote:
> (As long as you distribute nothing, or you develop free software
> without commercial interests then you do NOT need to by a
> Qt-license. But: What do you want to eat today?)

	You clearly do not understand the idea of free software.
Programmers can make money developing software while still distributing
all programs with source and for free -- the secret is that 90-95% of
all software is not distributed. It's developed for internal use or
for use by a direct client; not for sale on store shelves.

	Free software is intended to support that type of development
in part by protecting developers from closed software that only the
vendor can fix or that the vendor can change on a whim for
"competitive" reasons (see "DOS isn't done until Lotus won't run").
By having access to the source and having a clear way to propogate
fixes back to the original developer, you are protected from 
the vagaries of closed vendors.

	All said, as someone pointed out, if you don't see making enough
on sales to justify a $1500 investment, you shouldn't even be 
considering closed source. At a moderate salary, $1500 is at most
three months discretionary income for a developer, and roughly 1/40th
the cost of employing a good developer.


-- 
						crawford@iac.net
"DON'T answer messages that make you feel uncomfortable because
they seem improper, indecent or threatening. TELL A GROWN-UP 
RIGHT AWAY."			-- US DOJ
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