Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!uunet!bu-cs!ncsuvx!ecemwl!jnh
From: jnh@ecemwl.ncsu.edu (Joseph N. Hall)
Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss
Subject: Software Tax: how and why?
Message-ID: <3674@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>
Date: 15 Aug 89 21:40:36 GMT
Sender: news@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jnh@ecemwl.UUCP (Joseph N. Hall)
Organization: North Carolina State University
Lines: 31

The FSF manifesto refers to a "software tax" which would, presumably,
be levied by the government upon all citizens and whose proceeds would be
distributed to programmers.  Or at least this is the way I interpreted
this the last time I read it.

While I think this is an interesting idea, I think that it is impractical
and dangerous, even if the citizens and government of the country were
disposed to go along with it.  How would the proceeds be distributed?
Given all the fuss over a few thousand dollars of public funds used to
support the recent exhibit of Robert Mapelthorpe's controversial
photography in Washington DC, how could we reasonably expect that publicly-
gathered and -distributed funds would encourage experimental and similarly
controversial software design and development?

While indirect government grants (made through agencies which are, at least
partially, controlled by professionals in the appropriate fields) have done
a good job of funding research and experimentation in the arts and sciences
in this country, I am scared stiff of the prospect of any greater direct
government involvement in my favored profession.

I WOULD like to see less "software hoarding," and I AM willing to make a
contribution of my own ... but I'm not willing to be either penniless or
intellectually stifled as a result.  Useful software SHOULD be left to the
public, so that we programmers can quit reinventing the wheel and begin
inventing its replacement ... but how?


v   v sssss|| joseph hall                      || 4116 Brewster Drive
 v v s   s || jnh@ecemwl.ncsu.edu (Internet)   || Raleigh, NC  27606
  v   sss  || SP Software/CAD Tool Developer, Mac Hacker and Keyboardist
-----------|| Disclaimer: NCSU may not share my views, but is welcome to.