FSF software "costs" (was Re: cpp.c desperately needed)

[Bob Sutterfield]

In article <1569 at osiris.UUCP> mjr at osiris.UUCP (Marcus J. Ranum) writes:
|In article <1348 at hoqax.UUCP> twb at hoqax.UUCP (BEATTIE) writes:
|]In article <3367 at psuvax1.psu.edu>, schwartz at gondor.cs.psu.edu (Scott Schwartz) writes:
|]> 	Free Software Foundation, Inc.
|]     ^^^^
|]> send a check for 
|]> about $150 (your prices may vary.)
|]        ^^^^
|]
|]Huh?
|
|Almost like "military intelligence", eh ??

That's a tape duplication and shipping fee.

You're welcome to get the same software, like {\em lots} of other
folks do, for the price of a UUCP phone call to Columbus, Ohio.  See
my periodic postings to comp.sources.d, or write me for a copy of the
instructions.

If you can convince a friend who already has some GNU software to spin
his drives for you, you can get it for the cost of a drive across town
with a tape in your hand (plus maybe a beer after work, which is my
usual fee :-).

In all cases you're paying for the transport mechanism, not for the
software, which is indeed free.  It depends upon whether you prefer to
support the goals of your long distance vendor or the goals of the FSF
with your check, and which is easier to justify to your local bean
counters.
-=-
 Bob Sutterfield, Department of Computer and Information Science
 The Ohio State University; 2036 Neil Ave. Columbus OH USA 43210-1277
 bob at cis.ohio-state.edu or ...!cbosgd!osu-cis!bob