Re: [Gimp-user] QUESTION OF ETHICS

[Daniel Smith <opened to gmail com>]

Well, I looked at some of the auctions of Gimp there, and one was for 99 cents,
others for like 4 bucks highest i saw was 20 dollars. Some of these
sales are packages including open office, etc. It's basically the
price to get a version burned to a cd. It's like when I wanted to
install Ubuntu, eventually I figured out how to download and burn a
disk image, but in the meantime I had to buy a burner for 33 bucks.
But back when I didn't have a burner or didn't readily know how to
burn it I bought a Ubuntu disk for 4 dollars, well worth the cost.
Dan

On 5/10/12, Jay Smith <jay jaysmith com> wrote:
> On 05/10/2012 04:26 PM, Russ Marshall wrote:
> > Can anyone explain to me why GIMP allows their “FREE” software to be
> > SOLD on eBay? There are those of us
> > who have been cheated by sellers who, when you win the auction send you
> > the URL for GIMP web page where
> > you may download it for free!!!!
> > I have complained to eBay but they will not do anything about it.
> > RUSS MARSHALL
>
>
> Russ,
>
> Gimp developers do not "allow" or "not allow" sales.  The Gimp license
> does not prevent such activity.  That is part of the whole open-source
> software world, it is not related only to Gimp.
>
> No, such activity is not honorable -- if the seller has not added any
> value to transaction, but since it is not a disallowed activity, it is
> not illegal.  Whether it is ethical or not is a decision above my pay
> grade.  I don't like it, but even vultures and possums have their role
> in the world.
>
> However... I believe strongly -- and I do apply this thinking to myself
> as well -- that one should first look to oneself before deciding to
> blame others.  Did you know that you were buying Gimp?  Did you know
> what you were going to be receiving?  If you did know that you were
> buying Gimp, did you research it (doing a simple Google search would
> have told you everything) before bidding on it.  Or, if you did not know
> what product you were buying, why did you bid on it?  All these types of
> questions should perhaps be considered before blaming everybody else.
>
> If you were not previously aware of Gimp and you did not do any research
> to find Gimp (or other free / open-source software), then perhaps the
> eBay seller did actually provide some value for the price they charged
> -- in a devious kind of way, they have introduced you to the wonderful
> world of Gimp.  If Gimp cost $200 or $500, it would still be worth it to
> _many_ people, myself included.
>
> So, perhaps this is just a life lesson:  Know exactly what you are
> bidding on, research alternative sources before bidding, etc., etc.
>
> By the way, there is a huge and wonderful world of free / open-source
> software around there.  Explore that world and you will find a lot of
> great, free programs you had no idea existed.
>
> Jay
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