[SLL] Meme Engineering

[Brian Hatch]

About 2008-04-25 00:16 -0700, Paul A. Franz, P.E. kibitzed:

> Free as in Beer, doesn't have meaning to me. Beer isn't free, you buy it or sell it or
> make it. Maybe that is what is meant - you can buy it, sell it, or make it. I don't
> think you can patent it, even if it is your special batch, but you can give it to your
> friends and it goes good with pizza. So the comparison of beer to free software is a
> bit vague to me.

If I give you a beer at no cost, that's what we mean by "free as in
beer".

Sure, someone made it, but if I give one to you with no strings
attached, to you it's fere, and you don't need to consider
how much it cost me, my supplier, the marketing folks, etc.
The process of making it could well have patents, there could be
backroom deals with different suppliers, there could be child
labour used in it's creation (or ingredients), who knows.

The 'free as in beer' comparison is if you are the person receiving
the free beer, and had nothing to do with the creation thereof.

-- 
Brian Hatch                  "The problem is that my
   Systems and                tolerance for alcohol is too
   Security Engineer          low to become an alcoholic."
http://www.ifokr.org/bri/    --Bruce

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