I really don't get it...
Is it already really too much from Olaf to ask for a little donation for the time he spent implementing an TCP/IP stack?
At present, Amiga only serves IMHO as a pseudonym for a hobby like others - and many contributions in this forum speak about a maximum amount between 10 and 15 EUR.
The relations seem to be very shifted nowadays!
Just two days ago I paid 39 EUR for a CD-ROM, provided by a professional photographer, who photographed me and my machine on the racetrack. Whereupon are just about 37 photos. These 37 photos were made within 2 days and serve me only as memory to a beautiful time. Where does the relationship to a programme remain, which devoured a multiple with its production at time, compared to a one-shot event like this? IMHO, 10 to 15 EUR are just inacceptable for a product that is in daily use. At least, if I were in Olaf's shoes, I wouldn't accept this.
Next, if you are a smoker, how many EURs do you blow in the blue per day?
Or, if you visit a pub at the weekend, how much do you pay for the guinness you drink?
Don't get me wrong. I know that a lot of people cannot afford more than 10 to 15 EUR because they simply don't have more money to spend for one of their hobbies. But others like me can comfortably leave out other things in order to support Olaf. It's just a matter of will.
Because Olaf's isn't dead keen on money, he perhaps can make a special offer to those who really cannot afford the full price. But that's another story and a bit tricky because a lot of people aren't honest.
But what really strikes me badly on the belly is that some are crying to make Roadshow open source.
Who of you has got the knowledge that Olaf has in order to improve or apply bug-fixes to Roadshow?
If it goes open source I would speculate that it sooner than later has got so many bugs that it is not useable anymore!
If writing a TCP/IP stack is really that easy, why do you care about Roadshow at all? Write your own!
I admit that I don't have Olaf's know-how (for me it seems as if he is coming from an other star) and because of this I cannot write my own TCP/IP stack nor would I find the time to read about the essentials in first place.
To find an end, I would happily pay for Roadshow in case I can use an other payment as PayPal, because I don't have a PayPal account at all. Should be no problem at all because I can personally contact Olaf by email (which hasn't changed since years) and fulfill it via direct debit.
biggun
I think a good solution would be some sort of "community" contract.
That before a project becomes abandoned the programmer will release the sources like is was done was AWEB.
I would sign this with other programmers but not with Olaf. He is holding the fort when all others have already deserted.
He has an exceptionally high sense of responsibility regarding his programmes.
