[Info-vax] VSI OpenVMS Community License

[David Goodwin]

In article <utv9j6$2asrl$1 at dont-email.me>, arne at vajhoej.dk says...
> 
> On 3/26/2024 10:26 AM, Chris Townley wrote:
> > Just received 2 mails from VSI
> > 
> > End of Alpha and I64 community licenses
> > 
> > Looks like a more restricted X86 - WE can download a pre-built and 
> > licensed VMDK with a few LP, including compilers
> > 
> > Or there is an Ambassador program
> > 
> > Not sure what to think yet...
> 
> (warning: this is going to be a long rant)
> 
> First announcement link:
>     https://vmssoftware.com/about/news/2024-03-25-community-license-update/
> 
> The changes seems to be:
> * student license program is dropped
> * community license program is changed
>    - not available for Alpha and Itanium, only available for x86-64
>    - not available as license+kit, only available as preinstalled disk image
> * new VMS ambassador license
>    - with obligations to contribute
>    - license for all 3 platforms
>    - license+kit model
> 
> Reasons given are to solve problems:
> * too much work managing licenses
> * too little contribution back
> 
> I don't think the changes will solve the problems.
> 
> It is obvious that VSI has been struggling with the community licenses,
> but VSI will still have to do commercial licenses, ISV licenses and
> the new VMS ambassador licenses. If that process is not automated, then
> it will stille be hassle.
> 
> And I suspect that the change will reduce community contributions not
> increase them.
> 
> In reality the changes could also be described differently:
> * student license is being renamed to community license and
>    platform upgraded from Alpha to x86-64
> * community license is being renamed to VMS ambassador license
>    and with a specific requirement for contributions
> 
> But the student license was never popular as far as I can tell
> and the VMS ambassador requirements will scare people.
> 
> So my best guess is that if we look at 1000 communityt license users,
> then we will see:
> 
> 25 that has been contributing and will switch to VMS ambassador license
> 25 that has been contributing but will drop out because VMS ambassador 
> license is not for them
> 400 that has been running VMS on Alpha and will drop out
> 100 that are oldtimers interested in VMS on x86-64 and will switch to 
> the new community license
> 200 that are oldtimers interested in VMS on x86-64 and will drop out 
> because they don't like images
> 250 that are newcomers interested in VMS x86-64 and will switch to the 
> new community license
> 
> or:
> 
> 25 VMS ambassador licenses
> 350 new community license
> 625 drop outs
> 
> with:
> 
> 50% reduction in contributors
> no change in number of newcomers needing a lot of handhelding with basics
> 
> But I could be wrong, but that is what I predict.
> 
> And that is pretty bad!!!!

I wonder why community licenses were never automated. Why was there ever 
a queue? Why did it need someone to do things to process it?

Surely they could have just had a form that added a row to a database 
and then sent an email. Would have been a lot easier than all of this.