[sdpd] Re: Epidemic of licence file

[L.M.D.Cranswick... @dl.ac.uk (L. Cranswick)]

> I can understand the request of the registration as long as it can be easy
> done (e-mail, like -for instance- WinGX ) and does not require any
> paperwork.   The programmer wants to know how many people are using it for
> updates, etc...
> The point is that the number of users ignoring a program is proportional
> with the difficulty in getting it (unless that program is really great but I
> never found such one!).

I agree on the point about making software as easy as possible to 
obtain, of which the automatic Email responder used by the WinGX 
single crystal sets a good standard for keeping software authors
informed about who is using their software.

If you have a heavy atom problem, I think you will find Dirdif can do
amazing things in not only solving the structure but also building it up
to near completion.   And far worth the relatively trivial hoop
of requesting an ASCII licence file via E-mail (compared to say
getting admin to send small value purchase orders for payment
of Shareware).

Lachlan.

> 
> N
> 
> http://www.chem.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/appchem/labs/kitazawa/dragoe/
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Armel Le Bail <alb... @cristal.org>
> To: <sdpd... @egroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, October 14, 1999 4:26 PM
> Subject: [sdpd] Epidemic of licence file
> 
> 
> > I do not understand this new tendency to require to sign
> > a licence in the domain of free-for-academic software.
> >
> > "To enable full functionality of XXX a licence file is required"
> >
> > Recent XXX are WinGX, DIRDIF (and others ?)
> > Old ones are SHELX, EXPO (and much more ?)
> >
> > For each new version (with a frequency of 6 or 12 months)
> > we will have to sign a new licence ?
> >
> > This is becoming a little boring. The GNU licence does
> > not request any code number for enabling full functionality,
> > nor to sign any paper.
> >
> > I understand the pleasure of programmers to have a huge
> > list of users. May be this list can help for being funded.
> >
> > But, in the past, it was sufficient to present a list of
> > publications in which the software was used successfully...
> >
> > Opinions ?
> >
> > Armel Le Bail
> > http://www.cristal.org/course/


-- 
Lachlan M. D. Cranswick

Collaborative Computational Project No 14 (CCP14)
    for Single Crystal and Powder Diffraction
Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, WA4 4AD U.K
Tel: +44-1925-603703  Fax: +44-1925-603124
E-mail: l.cranswick... @dl.ac.uk  Ext: 3703  Room C14
                           http://www.ccp14.ac.uk