Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!teddy!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!jpm@bnl.ARPA From: John McNameeNewsgroups: net.unix-wizards Subject: Re: AT&T and Unix Message-ID: <7340@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Tue, 15-Jan-85 00:25:13 EST Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.7340 Posted: Tue Jan 15 00:25:13 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 20-Jan-85 04:43:13 EST Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA Organization: Ballistic Research Lab Lines: 46 >Universities get the sources cheap because they are willing to enter >into agreements to allow AT&T to retain ownership of software developed >on such systems (in general.) Universities can enter into such >contracts. If your business was willing to sign such a thing AT&T might >let you have it also but I doubt your business is interested as it wants >to make money (like AT&T.) What business? I'm not a business. That is the whole problem. I would probably be happy to sign such an agreement. I'm not out to make money by selling Unix programs, just to have a nice environment to hack at home. >As for personal computing (a different subject) I agree, there is a real >problem here. Especially because so many personal computerists have >dreams of becoming businesses so they are not that special a case. That is exactly what I'm trying to say. Now that most hackers can afford to get a machine with enough power to run Unix, there is a need for individuals to have Unix sources. I agree that many PC hackers have dreams of turning their programming into a business, but most of the time it is nothing more than a dream and thus is not an issue. >....For >this reason (confusion?) and others I am completely supportive of RMS's >GNU efforts and have several times offered to be of help where I can. If I were a better Unix-Wizard I would probably help RMS too. GNU holds a lot of promise, but it is only vaporware right now. When it is finished maybe the problems I describe will go away, but until then GNU really doesnt enter into the discussion. >There is no conflict of ideas here, AT&T was nice to give Universities >source licenses for free, other ideas are nice too (GNU), some are not >so nice (paying for things I guess), so what? I sent my message in reply to one Lauren sent saying how nice AT&T was and that the people who were trying to find holes in the Unix license were jerks. What I got out of his message was "AT&T is doing you all a big favor, so why are you biting the hand the feeds you?" My point is that AT&T isnt doing me, and other hackers like me, any favors with their pricing structure. I'm upset that Lauren makes it sound like AT&T is being nice to everybody, when in fact they are only doing favors for educational institutions. -- John McNamee ..!decvax!philabs!sbcs!bnl!jpm jpm@BNL.ARPA