Date   : Mon, 08 Jun 1987 16:14:37 EDT
From   : <SAGE@LL.ARPA>
Subject: 'Commercial Users' vs 'Hobbyists'

The following message that just went over the network is a perfect example
of what I was talking about in my earlier message (no, I did not put this
out as a plant).
 
>> I use M80, mostly. Not sure what version, but it's old. Can't afford to
>> spend a lot on a hobby. All these commercial users are ruining it for us
>> hobbyists, I think sometimes:-).
 
This user apparently thinks that he has a right to expect all of US to put
in lots of extra time so that HE does not have to do any work to make it
possible for him to use his antiquated assembler to take free advantage of
our code.  If we don't, then we 'commercial users' are ruining things for
'us hobbyists.'  Just as an aside, I wonder if he ever PAID for that M80
assembler -- it was not public domain after all, but many people just stole
copies.  If I remember correctly it cost well over $100 back in the days
when a dollar was worth a lot more than it is today.  As I said in my
earlier message, I don't think that $50 (maybe $25 in M80-era dollars?) for
a super assembler is much to expect someone to spend to gain access to the
fruits of our work.  Though I, too, do computing as a hobby, I certainly
would not dream of wasting my limited hobby time using, today, an assembler
like M80, when I can have a good one for between $50 and $100.  If someone
really cannot afford that amount, then let them contribute the time to
convert the code.  So long as the source code is there, I don't see how
anyone can justify a claim that things are being ruined for hobbyists.