Re: [boost] Re: Boost as charity-ware

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-01-20 10:23:29

Alisdair Meredith <alisdair.meredith_at_[hidden]> writes:

> Gennaro Prota wrote:
>
>> I would *love* to see boost becoming a charity-ware collection of
>> libraries. The idea is that we choose a list of associations and
>> bodies, and set up a mechanism, through the boost site or another
>> site, where download is possible only by making a donation to one of
>> the associations. That would be the only condition and the software
>> would be of course free to use, copy and modify.
>
> I am unreservedly opposed, no matter which charities are selected.
> It is not that I am anti-charity.  Quite the contrary.  But I believe
> mixing the two contradicts boost purpose.

<snip>

> I feel like the Grinch stealing Christmas coming out so strongly against
> something that is doubtless well motivated, and proposed by someone far
> more active in the community than myself, but see to much potential harm
> for it to pass without comment.

I feel basically the same way about this suggestion, but on even more
pragmatic grounds.  Getting Boost participants to agree on a list of
worthy charities sounds like a bureaucratic and political nightmare
that would be completely off-topic for the list and would probably
never be resolved.  All of that wasted energy could be divided between
library development *and* more-effective (individual) approaches to
raising money for charities.

-- 
                       David Abrahams
   dave_at_[hidden] * http://www.boost-consulting.com
Boost support, enhancements, training, and commercial distribution