[Info-vax] OpenVMS Hobbyist Notification

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 3/9/2020 2:52 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2020-03-06, Kevin Monceaux <Kevin at RawFedDogs.net> wrote:
>> Well, this doesn't sound encouraging.  Is VSI picking up the OpenVMS
>> Hobbyist license ball that HPE is dropping?
> 
> Based on the vibes coming from VSI management, I extremely doubt it.
> 
> VSI seem to be taking a very short term attitude to this and a rather
> counter-productive one as they don't seem to see the long term benefits
> of maintaining an active hobbyist program.
> 
> I don't know if VSI seem to think that everyone will start running VMS
> for free in production if they allow hobbyist licences, or if it's some
> other reason why VSI have gone back on their promise of a hobbyist program.

It sort of makes sense not to launch a VSI hobbyist program while
the HPE hobbyist program still existed.

Now that the the HPE hobbyist program has been officially
EOL'ed then VSI got the ball and we will see how they want
to play it.

But I would give them a few months before concluding anything.

That said then the business justification for a hobbyist
program may be a bit tricky.

Most VMS hobbyists are just that true hobbyists aka retired or
close to retire VMS people that run VMS for fun.

If VMS hobbyists were busy porting open source to VMS or
young IT enthusiasts wanting to learn about a new OS before
they hit the job market etc. then the benefit would be
more obvious.

Arne