Michael, I appologize. My statement about free software was incomplete. I was thinking along the lines of the "no free lunch" theory. Someone pays, the question is whom and for how long? I was thinking of the Catch-3000 situation whereas users criticise the HP 3000 platform for not having enought more "free" functionality (on the FOS tape) yet are willing to replace their '3000s with systems costing far, far more. I want to correct a much more dangerous misconception, to wit: "Actually, newspaper and magazine publishers make money selling advertising, not selling subscriptions. They charge you for a subscription because advertising rates are based on the number of subscribers, and paid subscribers count *way* more than free subscribers." Of course publishers do make money on subscriptions -- the issue is one of the ratio of subscription to advertising income. In general, the larger the publication, the less important the subscription income. (Also observe the the depth of coverage in publications such as Computer World.) For small, technical publications the subscription fees are very important. With very few exceptions the best technical publications cost hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars a year. I was browsing the Gardner Group website recently. Aside from a very few, semi-worthless frebies the least expensive study costs about as much a subscription to the 3000 Newswire. In fact, amoung the professional memberships and subscriptions I have held the ones related to the HP 3000 have consistently been the least expensive. I am not without a stake in this matter. I've got a major article coming out in the 3000 Newswire. I would like to research and write more such articles and on more timely subjects but the money is thin. Personally I'd like to see the 3000 Newswire and/or Interexpress sell for much more to fund the work required to write really good articles. By good I mean an article that you could take and run your company by. The really goods ones of a quality to be sold on their own. "Free" will fund only so many contributions of that quality. -- Cortlandt Wilson Cortlandt Software www.cortsoft.com (MANMAN 3rd party Resources site) (650) 966-8555 Michael D. Hensley wrote in message ... Cortlandt Wilson wrote: > As a not well paid sometime journalist for the 3000 NewsWire I must > point out that good software *of any kind* doesn't come for free. Never heaard of GNU, LINUX, APACHE, JAVA, MS Internet Explorer, Pegasus email client, etc.? > I would turn your statements around and ask why your companies don't make > more of their software products available for free. We make quite a lot available for "free". Visit our web site and click on the "Free Software" link. > How can a user group or publisher stay in business if they give their best > stuff away? Actually, newspaper and magazine publishers make money selling advertising, not selling subscriptions. They charge you for a subscription because advertising rates are based on the number of subscribers, and paid subscribers count *way* more than free subscribers. Seriously, I think *all* Interex members would benefit by the incredibly small (probably zero) "lost revenue* of giving away this series to assist new MPE users/admins/whatever. The more people who embrace the platform, the bigger Interex's potentioal customer base. --- Michael D. Hensley | mailto:[log in to unmask] Allegro Consultants Inc. | Visit scenic http://www.allegro.com 408/252-2330 | "Support Bill of Rights Enforcement"