Re: Mozilla on Alpha question

From: Brian 'Jarai' Chase (bdc_at_world.std.com)
Date: 01/17/04 

Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 06:56:03 +0000 (UTC)

In article <v89gV8rSpVLW@eisner.encompasserve.org>,
Larry Kilgallen <Kilgallen@SpamCop.net> wrote:
> In article <bu9tp2$613$1@pcls4.std.com>, bdc@world.std.com (Brian Chase) writes:
> > In article <y77N3L676oBF@eisner.encompasserve.org>,
> > Larry Kilgallen <Kilgallen@SpamCop.net> wrote:

> > True, but I really don't see why separating these platform specific
> > environment bits out from the exe is such a bad thing.
>
> I understand that to some people the difference may not matter.
> You should understand that to some of us it does matter.

In what way, and to what quantifiable extent, does the chosen
implementation negatively affect your system and your productivity?

> > > I am interested in what is reasonable for the VMS end user, not what
> > > makes the developer's life easier. This is the same as any other
> > > piece of software.
> >
> > Well, it is /free/ afterall which makes it rather different from
> > commercial software, and Mozilla does work. I'm a bit more inclined
> > to let the developers do whatever they want, when they're providing
> > me with a very functional and useful piece of software at no cost.
>
> You are making a good argument for avoiding "free" software if that
> is the attitude of proponents.

My experience has been that the vast majority of the developers behind
free software are willing to accomodate their end users. My point is
that /nobody/ has the /right/ to expect anything more of the developers
than the developers have offered. It certainly doesn't hurt to ask
(politely) and to present well reasoned arguments backing your views.
Beyond that, you've always got the source and at least have the option
to make the software work the way you want yourself.

In the case of commercial software, it's true that you've got leverage
as a paying customer. But even then, unless you're a significant customer
or there are a lot of little customers with the same problem, your money
may not do you any good at all. What recourse do you have when commercial
software vendors ignore your feature requests and bug reports? Zilch.

I'm certainly not arguing that free software is the answer to everything.
If there's a commercial alternative that meets your requirements, and it
makes sense to pay for it, by all means spend your money on it.

> > Ouch. So tell me, exactly what web browser would you be using if
> > Mozilla hadn't been ported to VMS?
>
> One that had been ported in a VMS-standard fashion.

What, you mean that version of Mosaic from the mid-1990s?

> Consider web servers, where Purveyor was driven off the market
> because the competition was "free".

The competition being free isn't reason enough for a commercial product to
be driven out. The free software also has to be "good enough" that a
significant number of people decide it meets their requirements. If all
the free alternatives are as awful as you're saying, the commerical
offerings should be doing just fine.

> Now we learn that the newest Apache cannot even handle variable length
> record text files.

There's a little ambiguity here. Did the previous versions of Apache
support variable length record text files, or have they never been
supported? If it did support them, I'd tend to believe that it's not
that Apache can't handle variable length record text files, but rather
that the person who did the VMS port neglected to handle them properly.

> _That_ illustrates the value of "free" software.

Well, you're also free to not use any of it.

-brian. 

-- 
--- Brian Chase | bdc@world.std.com | http://world.std.com/~bdc/ -----
                   Do not fold, mutilate, or spindle.

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