Re: Free Software Company

[Arun Sharma <adsharma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, Sep 17, 2000 at 03:00:08PM +0530, Radhakrishnan C V wrote:
> On Sat, 16 Sep 2000, Arun Sharma wrote:
> 
> [...]
> 
> : Most people want Microsoft to do well, because it is a big component
> : of the mutual funds in which their retirement savings go. Unlike India,
> 
> You are talking from the US for the people of US

I'm talking from the US, but NOT for the people of US. No one has paid
me to do so :)

> , but I am talking from India, though not within any narrow constraints
> of fanatic nationalism.  I am yet to see a person in the street here
> in Trivandrum who wants the Microsoft to fare well.

To me, it's not that inconceivable. Infosys makes a deal with Microsoft.
Therefore people who own Infosys stock want MS to do well, so that
their personal fortunes are enhanced. And what about all the visual
basic shops in major cities, which pray for MS be more successful, so
that their target markets are bigger.

> Not only in the US, in any country the economy is one of the key issues
> in an election. I am happy that you have identified the key factors
> that shape a nation building process. If a particular methodology
> can save our economy, I am for it and as things stand today, free
> software movement of all hues and colors have a positive influence in
> the economy of this land,

That's an unsubstantiated claim. Free software hasn't demonstrated any
wealth generation capability or hasn't saved any significant amount 
of money that was flowing out of the country.

> The downside of your proposition: Can you imagine US voters will still
> consider the economy as a key issue, if (as a hypothesis) the freedom
> of press is curtailed?

The freedom of press and economy can both coexist. Free software (in
the BSD - entrepreneurial sense) can coexist with wealth generation
by software sales. Free software in the (FSF/RMS sense) can NOT by
definition, coexist with  wealth generation by software sales.

	-Arun

PS: In the most recent communications of the ACM, there is an interesting
article on why the current software pricing in the developing countries
is unfair. The authors (one of them Indian) argue that like the "Eastern
economy editions" in books, software should be priced by what people can
pay. The study found that:

1. Per capita income of $6000 per year was the knee of the curve where
   the rate of illegal software fell significantly.
2. Statistically, India was pirating less software than it's per capita
   income indicated, so India should be encouraged by decreasing prices
   of software.