Support versus Bug Fixes (Was: Can't backup to floppy)

[Earl H. Kinmonth]

In article <8229 at alice.UUCP> debra at alice.UUCP () writes:
>In article <433 at l5comp.UUCP> scotty at l5comp.UUCP (Scott Turner) writes
>(or should I say "flames") about Bell Technologies not supporting their
>Unix.
>Have you also noticed the kind of disclaimers you find on most software
>products: "...makes no warranties, either express or implied, regarding the
>enclosed computer software package, its merchandability or its fitness for
>any particular purpose."
>Know what this means? You just paid your money for NOTHING. If the floppies

Not only do software outfits shove this kind of thing down your throat,
some have the audacity to try to collect royalties on what you do with
what you've bought or tell you when or where or when you can use it. As
an academic who teaches courses in [Japanese] business history, I've
often thought that either I or the University should receive royalties
for any commercially valuable ideas that come out of my lectures or
those of other faculty.

The idea of being able to charge extra to explain the ambiguities and
mistakes in my lectures is very, very appealing, to say the least.
Better yet, I'd like to collect a bit of tuition everytime I revise my
lecture notes.

Of course, when what I and other faculty have to say is a crock, then
we'll hide behind the "make no warranties" clause. -:)

Earl H. Kinmonth
History Department
University of California, Davis
Davis, California
95616 916-752-1636/0776

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