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Re: [ox-en] Book project




On Mon, 20 Jan 2003, MJ Ray wrote:

  The value in the software is in the 'use value', not in the 'sale 
value'.

Maybe, but is the sale price solely linked to the sale value, or to the use
value too?

  I may be using the terms differently:

  Use value is from the perspective of the customer, while sale value is
from the perspective of the vendor.


  I believe the FLOSS movement is deliberately trying to change
perspectives in thinking of software as something that provides value to
the user of the software, rather than providing value to the vendor.

  In some idealistic theory the value that software has in sale value is
equal to that of the use value (including any non-software value add, such
as packaging/distribution/etc).  The problem is that monopoly conditions
allow for monopoly rents to be extracted above the use value of software.  

  Free Software plus Free Markets would reduce that difference, which is
partly why I'm a supporter of both.

  I may author software as part of the services I offer to customers, but
I believe that software value should always be looked at from the
perspective of the customer and not the vendor.  Even as an author of
software, one is always a user of more software than they are a producer.

---
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
 Any 'hardware assist' for communications, whether it be eye-glasses, 
 VCR's, or personal computers, must be under the control of the citizen 
 and not a third party.   -- http://www.flora.ca/russell/

_______________________
http://www.oekonux.org/



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