win95/98/ME and printers. An ethics issue comparable to DRM servers or not?

[Jeffrey Watts]

On Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 8:26 AM, Monty J. Harder <mjharder at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Don't put words in my mouth.  I meant precisely what I said.  The attitude
> you describe is indeed common, but it also short-sighted.  Big businesses
> tend to be publicly-traded corporations, which are notorious for decisions
> that improve the current quarter's numbers at the expense of long-term
> health, to impress The Street (US) or The City (UK).   Smaller, closely-held
> firms are more likely to see the cost of providing downloadable drivers for
> 10-year-old operating systems as an investment in that reputation for
> products that retain their value for many years, which allows them to charge
> more and thereby make a larger profit.
>

Well, I don't think you've read what I've written, then.  You seem to think
that I'm taking the position that they are doing a good thing, or that I
agree with it.  I honestly don't really care, as I don't buy shitty printers
that don't speak PCL or PostScript.  The printers I use can use generic
drivers.

My position is that it's _how things are_.  That's not "short-sighted", as
I'm not taking a positive position on it.  I'm not saying that I like what
they're doing.  I'm saying that those of you crying on and on about it are
wasting your time, especially considering the fact that the main things
impacted are winprinters, and anyone who bought one of those ought to not be
mad about drivers - they ought to be mad that they were dumb enough (or
deceived into) buying a lobotomized product.  That's a separate issue.

For jeebus' sake, this is a LINUX list.  Why are folks complaining about
Windows stuff?  Or is it just about complaining for complaining's sake
nowadays?  If you don't like what HP has done don't buy their products.
Good luck finding a company that "cares" though.  As for me, I'll happily
buy their products if their hardware is good and the price is right, as I
don't care about their software.

I guess I'm just "short-sighted" like that.

Jeffrey.

-- 

"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from
oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that
will reach to himself." -- Thomas Paine
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