"clipka" <nomail@nomail> wrote:
> Either you will work for a big company to adapt & extend existing software to
> their needs (which then *may* happen to be released to the public for free as a
> spin-off), or you will develop software as a hobby just for fun. No in-between
> anymore.
>
> No room for people writing comparatively small pieces of software for fun *and*
> making a living on it.

Indeed.  "No pain, no gain" should be the tag line of every job. ;P

> Can you imagine anyone paying for shareware if it is not only *technically*
> possible to circumvent trial periods and registration code checks (because the
> source code must be made open),

or because the shareware is crippled and closed and there's similar open-source
software for free?

> Well, I can imagine people paying for such tools, but I guess their number will
> drastically decrease, and the feeling that it's still right to pay for
> shareware will erode over time even in those people who currently still have
> that attitude.

Funny you mention shareware indeed.  Shareware and freeware are two words I last
used on a 486 running DOS.  Ever since I got into Linux, free as in speech took
priority over free beer, even though it's gratuitous too.

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