Software distribution (groan!)

[DanKarron at UCBVAX.BERKELEY.EDU]

>
>	I think that doing small things like this is one of the
>reasons that so many people go out and buy SUN's regardless of the
>technical prowess of the machines. So many software bit's and pieces
>are available to make life easy/interesting. Every bit of software you
>think might be useful doesn't require a trip to the post office /
>department administrator (groan).
>

The above is, I think, the main reason NOT to charge a distribution fee
and post via anon ftp software for IRIS machines.

For us institutionalized folk, where people are much cheaper than machines,
I have had to explain to my boss/administrator why I need a check request or
purchase order for 50.00 or 100.00 for a piece of software like
dbw (Documentors Workbench). Why do I need it, can I live without it ? Is a
free copy available ? Why not get that ? What will it do for us ? 
My explanations never flew, and the only way
I got a copy was to make certain I got the request in on the specs for a new
machine. You see, the check writers are not the users, and my reasons look 
like excuses to my administrator were never taken seriously.
The hassel of justification can kill small purchase orders.

Computer software is a matter of details, an immense number of details. Each
alone is so difficult to justify, but taken in sum, make the difference 
between a good system or a lousy machine. Explain that to your chief
bean counter !
 

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