14 Dec
2004
14 Dec
'04
1:22 p.m.
On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 15:33:24 +0000, tim hall
<tech(a)glastonburymusic.org.uk> wrote:
Last Tuesday 14 December 2004 06:31, Lee Revell was
like:
yes.
Christ, what the fuck country do you live in?
Non-US ;-)
Don't you understand the
concept of people having bills to pay? Or do you just assume the RME
guys are independenly wealthy and just design sound cards for fun?
Absolute nonsense. We pay bills because we have a duty to do so, we pay taxes
so that some services can be provided cooperatively.
Technically, no. We pay them because it's the law. If there was any
other reason we'd decend into a discussion about how much tax to pay
to coopretively provide the services that matter to each of us and the
system wouldn't work.
We elect officials to make decisions about how much tax and what to spend it on.
As I said earlier we
needn't be naive about market forces, however, if we make that our number one
priority over providing goods and services where they are needed, then we are
lost.
Unless you are speaking of a govenment run (communist) program here
how can goods and services EVER be provided without market forces
promoting them? Even Marek's plea, down underneath, pines for a market
driven force to stop buying anything from RME unless they bend to the
will of this collective group.
And you are involved with Linux because ...?
Not sure I am involved (you were speaking to Lee who clearly is) but
my reasons are:
1) It's free
2) Lists like this are fun.
Nobody is saying that the RME guys should do it for free. Everyone deserves a
living out of what they do best, unfortunately it comes easier to some than
others. We do need to hone our financial arguments and business strategy to
encourage manufacturers to support Free Software, we need to be polite and
consider things from their perspective. We do not have to condone a culture
of greed.
Well said and fair enough. Now, what do we do? Just because they are
not releasing this information does not mean it's being done out of
'greed'. AFAICT it wasn't until Paul and I wrote our posts that we
were even able to draw RME into a discussion about why they might
think it's not in their best interests to release this info.
My thought is that we need to study these responses, and maybe study
the structure of RME, and then formulate a strategy to get them to
reevaluate this decision. (Should that be of interest to more then 3-5
people.
There is a very different feeling in Europe around the word 'socialism'. We
have experienced Socialist governments, which bear little or no similarity to
the Communism of the late USSR or China. Democratic Socialist governments
have actually proved rather easier to live under than Democratic Capitalism.
Socialism is desperately boring, doesn't provide all the answers by any means
and I wouldn't normally defend it, Socialists can be just as ignorant about
Patent issues (amongst other things) as Capitalists. It's the kind of
mindless truisms offerred above that I object to. (actually, Marek ;). Stick
to subjects you understand please.
I cannot speak to this. Probably history will at some future date when
none of us are hear to read about it.
with respect
Clearly.
tim hall
http://glastonburymusic.org.uk
Cheers,
Mark