CompuServe Messages

MacWorks for the Amiga

#: 4682 S9/SoftwareDevelopmentForum unknown
    09-Jan-86 00:55:11
Fm: TIM JENISON 71515,710
To: P. OLIVER 70145,1012

This message turned up in search, but its forum couldn’t be identified from the original transcript, so it may not be linked into its thread.

Better watch out, last time i talked about Ayn Rand, the sysops said it didn't have anything to do with software development! (I reasoned that it was my nickel, but why raise feathers.) I've been a student of Objectivism for about 8 years, now. (certainly recommend Ayn Rand's books to anyone and everyone) I've found that it's pretty useless to 'preach' objectivism to unwilling listeners. Without some agreement on your premises, no real communication is possible. I agree with just about everrything you've said so far, and, being a professional software developer, I can 'come where you're diggin' from.' The 'Hacker Mentality' as described by Levy, (i.e. information belongs to everyone and no-one) is antithetical to human life. However, I have given away small programs, or put them in public domain, basically for the heck of it. I see nothing wrong with that, do you? I certainly wouldn't choose to live in poverty, writing beautiful software as a gift to my fellow man. By the way, personal computers are forbidden in USSR. Only politbureau members have them. American PC's are considered a status symbol in the ruling class! I thought it would be kinda neat to drop several hundred thousand Sinclairs or somesuch out of a bomber over Moscow!