Profiteers

[steve ravet]

"Jeffrey A. Webb" wrote:
> 
> Shannen Durphey wrote:
> > Nothing stated here, on the list, has been given as a gift.  Nothing discussed off
> > list has been
> > given as a gift.
> 
> Not true.  How can you speak for everyone on the list?

That's how it works.  If the people who contribute real information, and
they are in the minority, feel they're being taken advantage of they'll
quit, and then the value of the list is nothing.  He's not speaking for
you, he's speaking as to how the list works.

By real information, I mean something new.  Something that you've worked
out after spending time on it, or something original that you've done in
the past.  Stuff that you've heard of, passing along from another list,
etc. doesn't count.

When real information is shared with the group, it comes with an
obligation that the recipient treat it with respect.  That means you
don't put your name on it, you don't put it on your WWW page and try to
sell it, you don't complain about minor problems with it or that it
doesn't exactly suit your needs.  This obligation is debt that Shannen
is referring to.

Recipients don't have to be bound by this obligation, but if the
obligation is violated too often then the real contributors will just
fade away and the list loses it's value.

This obligation is not a burdon, it's just how people get along in
polite company.  If you borrowed your neighbors mower and told him what
a piece of crap it was, or rented it to someone else while you had it,
then you probably wouldn't get to borrow it anymore.  It's common sense,
and common politeness.

When I say "you" I'm speaking in general, not to Jeff in particular.  I
don't mean to suggest, either, that list information should not be used
for profit.  There are professional tuners on the list and it's better
for their presence.  By and large they share their experiences and
knowledge with the list which more than repays any debt they owe from
using list information for profit.  A "profiteer" would be someone who
prints up programming 101 as a brochure and sells them at swap meets,
for example.  Takes value from the list without contributing anything
back.

> I suggest that you don't publish anything on the list that you expect to
> be repaid for.  If you do, then explicitly state the conditions under

Hopefully none of the contributors will take this advice.

I hope this is the end of this thread.  What's been discussed here
should be common sense to anyone who is able to get along with others.

--steve

-- 
Steve Ravet
steve.ravet at arm.com
ARM,Inc.
www.arm.com
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