[Info-vax] VSI OpenVMS Community License

[Chris Townley]

On 26/03/2024 20:13, David Goodwin wrote:
> 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.

Especially as the don't send out the X86 licenses - just one file on the 
portal

-- 
Chris