Born with free software ======================== translation declaration: 1. Original 2. I saw it for a few weeks ago, I feel more interesting, just a little time this holiday, so try to translate it, because it is more rushing (more than an hour), so there are a few less than a grasp, but it is still faithfully with the original. 3. Several questions are places a. About Dot COM B. "People worry that once our customers have a lot, they will wait for us to train" C. About GPL protocols and lawyers part. Because I don't affect the overall situation, I don't think, I can refer to the original text, welcome to correct ======================== in free software BY STEVEN M. RUBINSTATIC Free Software Company During 35 years ago, when I was still a high school student, I started playing a computer. I am playing for 35 years. In the 35 years, I became a doctor, made a lot of work, such as system administrators, researchers, professors, writers, entrepreneurs, of course, more or for programmers. For computers, my favorite is that I can create useful programs for others. The idea of free software is always natural to me. Now, free software is my profession. 20 years ago, I wrote a GNU software -Electric, now I work for it. In the last three years, I have earned more money than previously through consultation, training and sales of products related to this system. I am so busy, so that I have not attracted to Dot COM's boom. Also, companies that ask our consulting services (Sun, Intel, etc.) agree that I can have the improvement of the procedures they pay and put it into the GNU community. How did this come? Below is my story Electirc, 1982 story begins in 1982, at that time, I worked in ALTO, California's Faiurchild Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. When we make work for the chip, naturally study CAD, that is, the idea of computer-aided design. At the same time, the MEAD and CONWAY's famous textbooks "introduced to the VLSI system" published. Because this book, the integrated circuit design is no longer a mysterious craft, it starts to know the public. After using the other two CAD systems, I decided to write one, so I had an Electric. Even with today's standard measure, this system still has a smart idea that makes its powerful intelligence. Soon, everyone in our laboratory uses it to design chips. Xian Tong Company, at the time, Schlumberger, is now a big company with many subsidiaries. One of the subsidiaries is Application (Application Company), which is designed with CAD system.
When we showed the staff of Application Company, they said they already know all related ideas, so they have no interest. This makes me very happy, because I can show this worthless CAD system to others in this way to the laboratory leadership. Thus, the laboratory began distributing the source code of Electric to universities and other non-profit organizations (authorized by the Bell Lab Unix). A few years later, it was widely used. For example, Canada and New Zealand established agencies in their country to support schools within their country. After leaving the laboratory, I left the laboratory to work for Schlumberger, so they have my system, and I also stopped working on the ELECTRIC. Maybe I think so. One day, a person named Brian Gardiner called me, telling me an incredible message: he purchased the ELECTRIC ownership from Schlumberger. He has established a company called Electric Editor and needs my help. Ten years later, Electric Editor has been struggling to survive. In that day, Brian did not have any income from it many years. At first, the system priced was low (because it has been developed and can be used). But people don't dare to buy it because of this undisporated low price. So Brian improves its price to make it more competitive. However, customers quickly have another reason not to buy it: Our company is too small. Complex CAD systems require a lot of training, people are worried that once our customers have many customers, they have to wait for us to train. This is really going to retreat! In business, ELECTRIC is the only thing worthy of our truth is a CAD system that provides "solution for customers". There are very few large software development projects to consider where customers outside. Electric can easily cut it according to the special needs of customers. But only this is not enough, Electric Editor decides to see. At that time, I can convince them to use electric as a GNU software. Is this a dying company final struggle? No, this is a wonderful method that can solve all the Issues of Editor. Two backing factors that finally use Electric is the price and company stability. As a collection of all famous free software, these two issues can be solved. Low prices are not so doubtful, because everyone knows and understands the "free software model". Also, people think that the GNU community is as stable as any of the existing companies. I bought the ownership of Electric from the husband and set up a new company: Static Free Software (www.staticfreesoft.com). My new company finally has a perfect product: a quality you can trust, the price you can afford the CAD system. But what is it brought for me? First of all, I am very happy to see people in using my software, now I have users from all over the world. The University Professor uses electric to class, many personal enthusiasts use it to design the chip, and the company's engineers evaluate and use it. My current business is not big but very fulfilling, I sell online to support the procedures, documents and CDs used by Electric. However, the real income comes from the big company needs electric, they pay me, get support from me here. In the last three years, I have been consulting for Sun Microsystems. During this time, I also do projects for Intel and some small companies. The support of free software has become a fashionable personal industry. I can sit at home to upload the software online, and the other of the other end of the world will return to my account through the electric wire.
Keep free everyone knows typical working mode: When you work for someone, he has your soul. When a company gives me a reward, when I develop electric, they have those improvement. However, thanks to GNU, the world has changed. Because any changes to Electric are re-released in accordance with the GPL protocol, most companies believe that this will bring potential costs. Therefore, this company's lawyers generally give these ownerships. In this way, they don't have to worry about meeting the terms in the GPL protocol. These companies' lawyers hate the GPL agreement and the following factors: its "virtual" essentity. Even if only one subroutine in the code of Electric is used, the entire product will be affected and must become free software (this is not my analysis, I will listen to this discussion from the company lawyer). Any company, in order to protect your own products, from my purchase of "Business Authorization" to bypass the GPL protocol to get more control of product distribution. But I can still be guaranteed from these business licenses to have those improvements to product, and bug fixes remained free. From this agreement to the current 17 months, there is no restriction of any restrictions, and all everything still belongs to GNU. So, I work for ELECTRIC every day and still love it. I don't have to work hard: 25 hours a week is a paid work, plus a reply time for the Electric fans every morning. No boss can cut off my project, and never work. I even have colleagues around the world, they contribute code to help me create each part of the software. If there is no GNU, it will not happen. About the author Steven M. Rubin is the author of the Electric VLSI design system, and the author of the CAD tool textbook "computer-assisted VLSI design" author. He got a degree in Carnegie. Meron University, in Bell Lab, Schlumberger, Apple, Engaged. His professional direction is a visual calculation, his research across computer vision, graphics and CAD. Steve is also a lead singer of the Severe Tire Damage band. Sever Tire Damage is the first band with real-time performance through the internet. About translator
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Copyright / Copyright Zhang Hui 2003 This article can be originally attached to copy and freely release, but you must have this copyright statement in copying and re-issue copies. http://forestsong.blogone.net
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