From: Rob Levin (Rob.Levin@f217.n3802.z1.fidonet.org)
Date: 07/13/92


From: Rob.Levin@f217.n3802.z1.fidonet.org (Rob Levin)
Subject: FAQ next release
Date: 14 Jul 1992 04:16:10 GMT


 DF> I guess I have a real problem with having two free unices to
choose
 DF> from; there's no profit motive, so we really can't benefit much
from
 DF> having competition, and instead we duplicate efforts. I can
under-
 DF> stand it if it were more a matter of personal preferences, such as
 DF> the various free shells around (tcsh, bash, pdksh, zsh), but even
 DF> THEY are becoming so much alike that I can hardly tell which one
 DF> I'm using.

Sure there's a profit motive. The profit inhering to people who are
acknowledged as HAVING DONE IT RIGHT. If the two systems become exactly
alike, it will be because that's what "doing it right" means. Having
two different systems means the users have twice the opportunity to find
a system that will give them what they want. The system that doesn't
will go by the wayside. If both of them turn out excellent,
fine--having a little competition keeps you honest.

Rob L.

 * Origin: Via the Annex in Victoria, TX (1:3802/217)