AT&T and Unix

[John McNamee]

>Universities get the sources cheap because they are willing to enter
>into agreements to allow AT&T to retain ownership of software developed
>on such systems (in general.) Universities can enter into such
>contracts. If your business was willing to sign such a thing AT&T might
>let you have it also but I doubt your business is interested as it wants
>to make money (like AT&T.)

What business? I'm not a business. That is the whole problem. I would probably
be happy to sign such an agreement. I'm not out to make money by selling Unix
programs, just to have a nice environment to hack at home.

>As for personal computing (a different subject) I agree, there is a real
>problem here. Especially because so many personal computerists have
>dreams of becoming businesses so they are not that special a case.

That is exactly what I'm trying to say. Now that most hackers can afford
to get a machine with enough power to run Unix, there is a need for
individuals to have Unix sources. I agree that many PC hackers have dreams
of turning their programming into a business, but most of the time it is
nothing more than a dream and thus is not an issue.

>....For
>this reason (confusion?) and others I am completely supportive of RMS's
>GNU efforts and have several times offered to be of help where I can.

If I were a better Unix-Wizard I would probably help RMS too. GNU holds
a lot of promise, but it is only vaporware right now. When it is finished
maybe the problems I describe will go away, but until then GNU really doesnt
enter into the discussion.

>There is no conflict of ideas here, AT&T was nice to give Universities
>source licenses for free, other ideas are nice too (GNU), some are not
>so nice (paying for things I guess), so what?

I sent my message in reply to one Lauren sent saying how nice AT&T was and
that the people who were trying to find holes in the Unix license were jerks.
What I got out of his message was "AT&T is doing you all a big favor, so why
are you biting the hand the feeds you?" My point is that AT&T isnt doing me,
and other hackers like me, any favors with their pricing structure. I'm upset
that Lauren makes it sound like AT&T is being nice to everybody, when in fact
they are only doing favors for educational institutions.
--

			John McNamee
		..!decvax!philabs!sbcs!bnl!jpm
			jpm at BNL.ARPA