Re: open source or closed source? was Re: gEDA-user: lost newbie

[Karel Kulhavy <clock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Jan 09, 2006 at 12:50:27AM -0500, Al Davis wrote:
> On Sunday 08 January 2006 11:51 am, John Doty wrote:
> > On Jan 8, 2006, at 5:44 AM, Steve Meier wrote:
> > >  The geda group should set up
> > > some method for donations as should other components. Open
> > > Source isn't
> > > free. It is payed for mostly by the developers who donate
> > > their time. Those of us who like these tools can tell the
> > > developers how much we appreciate their efforts by giving
> > > at least a little. Those of us who make a living using
> > > these tools should donate a lot.
> >
> > Yes! I'm sending a customer two big budget proposals today,
> > one for a project continuation, one for a new project. Ales,
> > Stuart et al. definitely deserve a cut...
> 
> I have been investigating sources of funding for gnucap.  There 
> is a possibility of funding based on the sale of non-GPL 
> licenses of ACS (Al's Circuit Simulator, from which gnucap is 
> derived).  If I could get enough support, I would do it full 
> time.  If there is really enough, I would expand the staff.

Or you could do it like Ronja - make some feature/fix pack and then
say that it's prepared for publishing and tell how much you want
to release.

So some company who would use it would pay because they don't have
time to waste with some problems. And I could send money too
when I need it on Ronja development and put it into the
development cost :)

Problem with your approach is that it is ideologically incorrect
from the Free Software point of view. What if the interest in closed
source ceases at all? Will you start picking up blueberries in the wood
to stay alive?

CL<
> 
> I thought of making a business, but I don't want to do the 
> business type of work myself ... management, sales, etc.  Been 
> there, done that, once is enough.
> 
> My plan of trying to do it through an academic position has not 
> been working.  I accomplished more when I was working for an 
> EDA company, and managed to negotiate an IP contract that let 
> me keep working on it.  I left when the company was acquired 
> and the new owner would not go along with it.