topher@cyb-eng.UUCP (Topher Eliot) (05/14/86)
> Just a mild flame. I find it very interesting that you seem to be > indicating that persons/companies who chose to distribute their products as > 'shareware' are not 'professional' developers. Does MicroPro encourage you > to attack this concept? "pro-fes-sion-al adj: ...participating for gain or livelihood in an activity ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs..." Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, 1981 (emphasis mine) Cheers, Topher Eliot Cyb Systems, Austin, TX (512) 835-2266 {gatech,harvard,ihnp4,nbires,seismo,ucb-vax}!ut-sally!cyb-eng!topher
dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady) (05/16/86)
In article <849@cyb-eng.UUCP> topher@cyb-eng.UUCP (Topher Eliot) writes: >> Just a mild flame. I find it very interesting that you seem to be >> indicating that persons/companies who chose to distribute their products as >> 'shareware' are not 'professional' developers. Does MicroPro encourage you >> to attack this concept? > >"pro-fes-sion-al adj: ...participating for gain or livelihood in an activity > ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ >or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs..." > >Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, 1981 >(emphasis mine) Bob Wallace distributes PC-Write as "shareware" and has gross receipts of about a million a year, so at least some "shareware" is "professional" in the sense you use. Perhaps you aren't familiar with the term shareware? (Shareware = software distributed by unrestricted copying but with a request that satisfied users voluntarily mail payment to the developer.) Further, I contend that a little dictionary learning is a dangerous thing. Suppose a physician or attorney provides free/pro bono services at some time? Is he or she being "unprofessional"? There are more things in English and French, Horatio, than are dreampt of in your abbridged dictionary... -- D Gary Grady Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC 27706 (919) 684-3695 USENET: {seismo,decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary
peter@baylor.UUCP (05/24/86)
> "pro-fes-sion-al adj: ...participating for gain or livelihood in an activity > ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ > or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs..." I'm a professional programmer -- I gain my livelihood through this activity. Does this make any software I happen to release into the public domain amateur efforts? -- -- Peter da Silva -- UUCP: ...!shell!{baylor,graffiti}!peter; MCI: PDASILVA; CIS: 70216,1076