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41 Module Library: Last chance for common sense
07-13-2016, 05:47 PM
Post: #50
RE: 41 Module Library: Last chance for common sense
(07-13-2016 08:32 AM)HP-Collection Wrote:  Guys: You all know about the value of software: Adobes Photoshop costs more than $1000 even the hardware (paperbox and CD) is worth a bug! --> The real value is the software, not the hardware.

We are dealing with rare bit patterns imbedded in rare hardware. The bits can be copied arbitrarily but the hardware is unique or nearly so. Which of these have value to a collector?

Although I personally feel that the hardware modules are what is worth collecting, and although I've benefitted enormously from the culture of sharing, and would gladly give back for the days upon days of pleasure I've derived from it, I recognize that Matthias has a right to value his possessions as he sees fit. Matthias is attempting to exploit scarcity. The bit patterns he controls are rare. He feels he can extract value from those patterns. Most of us, with backgrounds in user groups and/or open source software, tend to feel offended by what we see as avarice. But that's the way a lot of the world works.

What is interesting about this is that we are talking about software. Once made available, those bits may be copied an arbitrary number of times with zero marginal cost. Their rarity would vanish if they were freed from their hardware prison. Their economic value would drop to zero.

Matthias seems to be offering to sell those bits to the community. I’m guessing that he feels that the community ought to be able to pool resources to purchase the bits from him. He also offers to cap his selling price to some percentage of the price he paid for the modules. As a commercial proposition, this strikes me as reasonable. But it offends the sensibilities of many in this community.

I’m an enthusiast. I get pleasure from playing with old bits. I’m not wealthy, but I might be willing to participate in a consortium to free some of those bits, provided the price was reasonable and with the understanding that they would be free to roam the world after the purchase. My participation would also depend on a robust response from others in this community. What “robust” means is TBD.

Perhaps Matthias can start a new thread in the For Sale forum to gauge interest in this idea?


Regards,
Howard
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RE: 41 Module Library: Last chance for common sense - hbo - 07-13-2016 05:47 PM



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