[Info-vax] VSI OpenVMS Community License

[Dave Froble]

On 3/26/2024 4:13 PM, 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.
>

Well, if it was/is that much work, then should that not indicate that there has 
been plenty of interest?  And if so, why kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?

Or, if there is such interest, perhaps some beancounter (everyone knows I 
dislike beancounters, right?) sees it as a way to milk some money from the interest?

The community license seemed like someone understood.  What happened to that 
understanding?

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
DFE Ultralights, Inc.
170 Grimplin Road
Vanderbilt, PA  15486