>> Which of such tools (or any other things or services) do 
>> *you* provide for free?

> Lots and lots and lots.  It is called "pro bono" work in my 
> profession.

OK, if you do that as volunteer (not as unavoidable requirement of being
a professional (lawyer?)) I accept your arguments :)

If you think such tooling should be free, who should make them, and who
pays the rent for those who make them? Specalised compiler and other
tool vendors can clearly not do this, they would have no income at all.
I don't thing you survive from doing only 'pro bono' work? Microchip
could do this (create for instance a free C compiler), but it would
spoil the market for specialisd tool manufactureres, so we would end up
with one free C compiler instead of a range of non-free ones as we have
now. I am not sure that would be a change for the good.

Wouter van Ooijen

-- -------------------------------------------
Van Ooijen Technische Informatica: www.voti.nl
consultancy, development, PICmicro products
docent Hogeschool van Utrecht: www.voti.nl/hvu
 

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