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.