Subject: sick to death of Oz WB PCBs - now available - Or how I screwed the list

[Marvin Johnson]

> Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 13:39:21 +1000
> From: Geoff Swavley <geoffs at radx.net>
> Subject: sick to death of Oz WB PCBs - now available - Or how I screwed
the list
>
> Profit? Profit? .... oh wow .... $5, $10, $20 ... who gives a rats!
> "Profit" is $10000, $20000, $100000 ... don't even waste my time
> bitching about $5 OK. Peter .... go right ahead doing what you're
> doing - there will be people that appreciate it (like me), and
> there will be people that bitch about principle for the sake of
> a couple of $$ - ignore them. The world is a practical place ...
> there are "rules" ... and then there is what really happens to make
> the world go round - I think the old addage:
>
> "Rules are for the guidance of the wise and the strict adherence
> to of fools"
>
> applies here.
>
> Can we discuss something else now.
>
> geoffs :-)

    I've been watching this argument for quite awhile now. I guess I'll
throw in my two cents. Who cares about the $5 , $10, etc., I do, and it's
not even my work or my property. The reason to be upset is because he is
selling something that doesn't belong to him. It is based on the
intellectual property of the group that developed it. As far as I know they
didn't give him the right to profit from it. As far as I'm concerned that's
stealing. Because it makes it easier for someone to obtain is immaterial.
You want easy availability, organize a buy for no compensation. I don't know
how much time was involved in the development, but I'll bet it's
substantial. I think there were one or more EEs involved. Checked out the
hourly rates for an engineer lately? They spent thier time to develop it
without charge, and yet someone else decides he needs to profit for
organizing a board buy. If someone wishes to profit from it they should
negotiate for the rights, which I'm sure will include the development costs.
I doubt it will be cheap.

    The world IS a practical place. There are any number of commercial
vendors who will gladly sell you a WB. Get out your wallet, you will be
paying for the more than just the development costs.

    If principle doesn't mean anything to you think about this. Some very
knowledgable people spent thier free time and money to make this happen. If
they feel taken and ripped off because someone wants to make a buck or two
who loses. It isn't only them, it's you also. Because the next cool idea
that comes up either won't happen, or you'll never hear about it. What's
that worth to you?

    To those working on the cool ideas, keep it up, and THANKS!

Marvin


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