Selling GNU Licensed Software - It’s Just Wrong, Or Is It Right?

Posted by multippt

Personally, I fell that it is simply wrong to sell a person something that is generally available for free. Then again, the GNU license does permit a person to sell the given software licensed under it. So… is it alright to do it? Lets go through the pros and cons of selling such stuff on lets say… ebay.

The Pros

The seller would be can skim off a little profit for something free legally, and the profit gained from selling such stuff would be considerably more profitable than selling other stuff (with some exemptions though). The buyer, in turn, would get to know more about the product/software. Thus, its a win-win situation. Furthermore, what if the buyer do not have a good internet connection speed to download such software (eg, who would want to even think of downloading 1gb of stuff such as live cds?)? Thus, the purchaser of these sold software would be able to get their hands on these software (maybe by CD?), which would have otherwise taken weeks to download. Furthemore, the GNU license permits the selling of the said software, provided the source is made available.

The Cons

How would you feel if you were to buy something, then find out that it can be downloaded for free? Wouldn’t you feel as though you had been conned? Thus, it is this very idea that makes the selling of such software very wrong, even if its legal. Also, what if the means of distribution of the software after paying it is via digital distribution (that is… by download through internet)? Its the same as downloading the same software, except you would have to pay it. Its even worse if the seller just give you the link to the official site after you pay him.

Despite the cons of selling such software, it’s the buyer’s duty to check out more information on what they are buying. Hence, this concludes this scenario of selling free software on internet auctions.

Via Digg

New service policy

Posted by multippt

I changed the service policy (a.k.a. Terms of Service) after thinking of what users might do with too much freedom. Fearing that people might steal away your credit and claim it as theirs, I’ve decided to modify the service policy so as to prevent this problem from happening.

CNET’s editor goes missing

Posted by multippt

James Kim, a CNET senior editor of digital audio, together with his family have gone missing a few days ago. James Kim’s missing presences have been felt throughout sectors of the tech community. It seems that James Kim and his family went missing in their family vehicle, which was a silver Saab station wagon. James Kim is yet to be found. Aerial searches by helicopters may yield some results.

Windows Vista to be released to volume license customers

Posted by multippt

Windows Vista, which represents the new generation of the Microsoft Windows operating system, would be released today, which is the 30th of November, to customers making volume purchases of it. This means that companies could get their hands on it soon.

However though, the vast majority of us would not be able to purchase it, until the 30th of January, next year, 2007.