[linux-audio-dev] Free Software vs. Open Source: Where do *you* stand?

[David Kastrup]

Tim Goetze <tim at quitte.de> writes:

> [Pete Bessman]
>>the salient point is that Chris stipulated that proprietary software
>>producers *aren't* evil!  The only way they can be evil is if you
>>stipulate a moral code which dictates as much.
>
> I keep a good 150 or so .arr files around, stemming from the late 80s, 
> early 90s, back when I used to do MIDI-only work with Cubase on an ST.
>
> A few years ago, I wanted to revisit/-edit my music from that time.  
> So I turned to Steinberg to help me in decoding the files.  The short 
> version: I asked for file format docs, they said "Buy the latest 
> Cubase instead", I said "What would I run it on?", they said "Mac or 
> Win", I said "I own neither and don't plan to", they said "Then you're 
> SOL".
>
> I don't know about you, but denying me unfettered access to my very 
> own data certainly meets my definition of "evil".

Not mine.  It is not like they promised you anything or that they'd be
obliged to help you out.  They are not a charity.  That's one of the
reasons why using nonfree software is a bad idea.  It reduces you to
begging, and that's not a good position to be in, regardless of
whether the person you need to beg from is goodwilled or not.  The
price to get the source may be higher: in developers you pay, in work
you invest yourself.  But it means that you still have the option to
take your business elsewhere if necessary.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum