[REBOL] Re: It's NOT Free.. (was) Re: Re: The future of Rebol - achieving criti
From: fsievert:uos at: 22-May-2001 14:06
> No, it's been around for a while. We just decided to stress it more.
My 2.5. version has the old license, i think.
> Why is this a bad idea? Please explain.
Hi Carl!
You are asking for reasons, why it is a bad idea not to have a completly
free
REBOL. This depends on the view point, of course. I hacked together a
small text,
sorry for bad english and for some strange sentences, but I didn't
have much time for it.
What is the target market of /Core?
-----------------------------------
/Core is not good for complete applications. They need windows and a
beautiful
UI. /Core is used as a tool- and cgi-scripting-language.
This marked is dominated by free languages like PERL.
You will find a PERL library for nearly all your problems. And you will
find
a lot of people who can write perl-code and who can work with the code
later.
A. Why a commecial individual might buy REBOL
---------------------------------------------
Not every commercial user is "Bank of America" or has something in common
with
it.
Someone needs a sollution for problem xy. He heard, that REBOL/Core could
be
good for this problem. But, of course, no one can write REBOL code. So
they
wourld have to learn. And after writing the tool (or cgi-script) there is
always someone needed, who can write rebol code, to remove bugs, add more
features, etc. So there are big obstructions.
Would they give it a try if they have to pay for REBOL, just to write a
small
tool with it?
I don't think so. But they might try, if they can use it for free like the
other languages. Then, later, they want other killer features. They want
their script to [produce an image | use shell access | use external
librarys].
Now you've got a good chance that they will pay for your tool.
B. Why does someone learn to write REBOL scripts
------------------------------------------------
There is one thing you (RT) really needs to sell something: Programmers
You need people, who can write REBOL Code and bring their firms to use
REBOL.
But will someone start learning a scripting language with a non-commercial
restriction? What does he want to use it for?
He will have a commecial idea in his mind.
But he will not start learning REBOL if he is not free to use it then.
He will not see the advantages of your products. He will go to the
webside,
read "For commercial usage: 79$ per CPU". Not sure, if he will download
it,
while PERL is free. He will use PERL.
But there is one reason, why he already could have learned REBOL: You
changed
license only a short time ago. So he has already invested some time in
developing tools with /Core.
Not very credibly, is it?
Conclusion
----------
Do you think, REBOL has already enough users?
If not, you should try to find more users to use it, not less.
You should try to find as many programmers, as you can. When they know
REBOL very good, they will accept to pay for enhancements and additions.
The people out there are working in new markets, which often bind together
private and commercial living. Their job is there hobby, too. So when they
look at a new language, they will always ask "what does this give me for
my
job", too.
They don't want to write a program to control the television set at home,
but
a guest-book with image-support, a database2HTML creator, an http-uploader
or something like that.
Even if they want it "for personal use" first, they will choose the best
language to use it (maybe) later for commercial use.
Your product is REBOL, not REBOL/Core. You can sell so many things:
Developer
support, Plugins (Components), Special features for one customer, books
etc.
But first you need people, who might want to buy all these things. And
these
persons are not fully non-commercial. These persons are people, who want
to solve a problem (at first a small one, i think).
I don't think, they will choose REBOL, if they have to pay for /Core
(which
looks much like free PERL at first).
Note: You would not be able to sell a commecial PERL implementation, which
has clean syntax. But you will be able to sell a PERL extension, which can
do things, that can't be done with PERL alone.
When a investor looks at REBOL/Core, he will see a scripting language
(prototype: PERL). He will only see a few advatages, but nothing that
can't
be done with the free tools.
Why must software be free of charge?
------------------------------------
It don't need to. But if you need to have programmers, you must think
about
how to find some.
But this is something special when selling a programming language. When I
buy a paint-program, I will pay once and paint many picture
and sell them 1000 times.
When choosing REBOL/Core to code a commercial tool, i need to pay for my
commercial working first, and then everyone i want to sell my tool, has
to do, too. And first I have to invest much time to learn the language.
I don't even think you will sell a lot of /Core licenses, because you
will be unable to test, if someone is using it. But you will discourage
many people to use REBOL.
So give everyone /Core, that he uses it and can see what /Command or
/View or /Pro could do for him. And I think, they will buy it.
