Re: Not "Satanism;" realism.

[Steve Cohen <stevecoh@mcs.com>]

Brett Glass wrote:

> At 04:52 PM 12/31/98 -0500, Matthew Benjamin wrote:
>
> >But, as Eric wrote, people writing _commercial_ software for Linux don't put
> >their code under the GPL, do they?
>
> True. But they ARE taking a big risk: they stand to be undermined by GPLed
> applications in the same category. And they can't use existing GPLed code
> as a stepping stone to build better commercial products. This is why
> so few companies have taken the plunge.
>
> >People selling support for free software, like Cygnus, do put their code
> >under the GPL.
>
> Cygnus is a group that has, since its inception, accepted the notion
> that programmers should be day laborers rather than creators of
> intellectual capital. They're willing to run on the consulting
> "treadmill."

> Most programmers, however, dream of being more
> entrepreneurial.
>

That's their problem.  I view programming as craftsmanship.  It's not
significantly different than any other form of skilled labor.  I've been a
skilled tradesman and the feeling you get from a job well done is identical in
either arena.  The only difference is that in one you literally get your hands
dirty and in the other, you don't.  It's not the end of the world.  The world is
not going to step aside just to let programmers maintain their entrepreneurial
fantasies.

I recommend reading the book "Burn Rate" if you want to see entrepreneurial
fantasy in its full flower.  Who needs this?