Re: Bitkeeper outrage, old and new

[Roman Zippel <zippel@linux-m68k.org>]

Hi,

On Mon, 21 Oct 2002, Murray J. Root wrote:

> It's a simple concept. I produced it, it's mine until I say otherwise.
> You grant other laborers the right to profit from their labors, do you
> not?

Software isn't a product like others, once you've written it, you can
reproduce it indefinitely with almost no further costs. Profit is defined
as difference between the costs and the price you can realize on the
market. The market price is determined by supply and demand. What happens
now if a product is indefinitely available? The price drops until no
significant profit can be made anymore. (*)
So how is it possible to still make profit from an indefinitely available
product? The supply must be artifically limited by disallowing free trade
and withdrawing it from the free market. Whether this product is called
software, music, movie or information doesn't matter, they can only be
profitable, if access to it is limited.
The romantic picture of the kids one has to feed and which one wants to
take to the games is only useful to silence criticism. Larry should rather
be worried about their future, how will they access information? Can they
afford the in-depth information or has the base package to be enough, can
they easily share it with their friends?
We have to find ways now to keep information free and still allow the
people, who produce information (software, music or movies) to make a
living. Either that or we have to pay with our freedom.

bye, Roman

PS: (*) That's of course very simplified, in the short term these
mechanisms can be influenced, but hardly in the long term.
PPS: http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue7_3/soderberg/index.html