[mdlug] Stallman

[Robert Adkins]

Jeff Hanson wrote:
>>     As it stands, I already deal with many commercial software packages
>> where the vendors try and sell us "Support Contracts" and I tell them to
>> blow off, because their stuff works, we never call support and the
>> "updates" that are part of the support contracts aren't even mildly
>> interesting features that would benefit us. Also, from reading about the
>> update "chain" from one software package we use, the majority of the
>> changes had been changing all the menus around and changing option
>> screens, while only adding one or two real features... (Which is hardly
>> worth the expense.)
>>     
>
> Some vendors now charge you for back support if you skip a year or two
> of support.
>   
    Yep. Some of them try to do that.

    If you go long enough and it becomes cheaper to simply buy a new 
license, then that is what we would be doing. (If we needed support that 
is.)

    Even then, all of those costs are negotiable, even if the 
salesperson attempts to claim otherwise. It's not like getting that 
"back support" money pays for anything. Besides, there's always other 
software on the market that is often just as capable and sometimes less 
expensive.

    -Rob