May I add my 2 cents (again)?
I agree that constructive criticism is needed. I also agree that
people who criticize aspects of GPL and the patch should not be called
whiners (although some of them do indeed sound like whiners).
Well, this really depends. As I said in a previous post, Papyrus are
under no obligation to patch their products. There is no law, either
in the US, Germany, or elsewhere, that forces a software producer to
patch programs. (Maybe there is such a law - I'm no lawyer - but I
would be greatly surprised.)
Therefore, Papyrus have to decide whether or not to make a patch.
Ultimately, they have to base the decision on money. Will they make
more money by providing the patch (through increased sales of GPL or
some future products) than by not providing a patch (by saving
expenses in manpower)?
Now, if it is really true that Randy Cassidy made the patch in his
spare time, then *nagging* will have, if any, an adverse effect: the
company Papyrus had already decided that making a patch was not
economically viable. The individual Randy Cassidy decided to make a
patch anyway. A company might interpret nagging as a demand by the
customer which needs to be heeded. An individual might interpret
nagging as a sign that he should spend more time with friends and
family in the future, instead of making patches for ungrateful
strangers. ;)
--
Wolfgang Preiss \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome.