[Info-vax] Trying to build a case for Benefit of OpenVMS Hobbyist Program being beneficial to HP

[Steven Schweda]

On Nov 16, 11:06 am, "Bill Pedersen" <peder... at ccsscorp.com> wrote:

> I personally believe that the OpenVMS Hobbyist program is a
> great asset to HP and OpenVMS.

   I agree that the program benefits HP.  HP apparently
disagrees, or believes that the costs outweigh the benefits.

> [...] I have been challenged to show the return to OpenVMS
> from this program. [...]

   What, exactly, does this mean?  You haven't observed any
such value?  Someone at HP hasn't observed any such value?

> [...] what Open Source applications
> have you ported?  What utilities have you developed?  Where
> are they published?

      http://antinode.info/dec/index.html#Software

   Contributions to:
      http://curl.haxx.se/
      http://www.info-zip.org/
      http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/
      http://www.kednos.com/kednos/Open_Source/MMK
      http://openssl.org/
      http://www.vim.org/

(Probably some others, if I looked harder.)

   But, really, if in the past year HP hasn't figured this
out, then I don't see much hope for a change.  In my case,
other considerations also argue against continuing to use VMS
for my primary workstation+server.  For example, on Alpha,
there's no modern Web browser.  (SWB 1.1.12 on Alpha can't
even post a message on HP's new user forums, and even for
read-only tasks, on an XP1000 they're hopelessly slow.)  On
IA64, there's no audio support.  Only inertia keeps me using
VMS as a workstation OS, and I can't justify running a VMS
server and some more modern/useful OS on a separate
workstation, when an OS like GNU/Linux can serve both
purposes.  I'd like to think that my loss of interest in VMS
would matter to the folks in charge, but if their only
interest is in the cash I pay them, of which there is none,
then there's apparently not much I can do about it.