MACISTE

[Alaric B. Williams]

> PS: to Jecel -- yes, it's admittedly hard to promote open development,
> all the more for things that are not of immediate use for lots of people.
> So the challenge is precisely to write software that, without sacrificing
> long-term utility, DOES enable people to do things useful things NOW in
> a way compatible with their other activities... easier said than done,
> but still, a priority. 'nough said.

I don't think of "NOW" as being a great priority... better late than never,
and better well tested on groups of people who know that first impressions
of something in development are noncritical compared to a typically
stampeding general public :-)

My development plan for ARGON is currently:

1) Go to University, and try to learn more about the areas I am still
    uncertain about. Look out for like-minded people, who are likely
    to be found in an academic environment.

2) Leave Uni and get a job doing something, anything, that brings in
    the bread and passes the time.

3) In spare time, along with the people I collected in part 1, put
    together a working ARGON system of sorts.

4) Go to bankers with it, get leant lots of money, start a business
    with the people from part 1.

5) Develop ARGON on a "free for non-profit use" basis. Companies
    can afford paying for it. Charities, students, and individuals
    shouldn't have to, so won't. People who pay will get a nice box
    with logos on and manuals inside, and a guarantee: find a bug,
    and we give you GBP500. Lose work, money, etc. due to a bug,
    and we give you the money you lost. I'll have to be careful about
    that one, of course, for fear of going bust :-)

Now, this will take a while to get going, but the end effect will be
a research organisation, getting money at a rate proportional
to ARGON's success, with the task of improving ARGON...
modules and stuff from outside the organisation may be integrated
into the standard release if they're deemed good enough to be
officially endorsed, et cetera.

Then we take Microsoft down (hur, hur, hur :-)

ABW
--
Alaric B. Williams Internet : alaric@abwillms.demon.co.uk
http://www.abwillms.demon.co.uk/