CompuServe Messages

"I sometimes think it's downright immoral for people to be handing out their work." Now this is an attitude held VERY strongly by a famous personality in the computer community, and I've never had an opportunity to understand it. Since I couldn't ask him, but I can ask you… Whence comes this statement? Do you never help your neighbors, lend a hand to anyone, perform a community service? What is the distinction between these acts and "handing out [one's] work"? In each case you are giving away time, effort, or physical property to someone or someone(s) else. In a few of the cases it might be one-on-one, on others it is "to the wind". Since I can't see the immorality of donating a weekend to the Muscular Sclerosis Society, I can't see the immorality of donating a program (which I was going to write for my use anyway, and which is not commercially viable) to the world at large on the off chance that someone else finds it useful. Given that your reasons for considering this immoral might not be the same as the reasons of the person alluded to earlier, I'd like to hear your rationale. Note: this is not a razz session, I'm asking because I'd like to know. Rick