[Info-vax] VSI OpenVMS Community License

[David Goodwin]

In article <uu1tpk$31o5s$1 at dont-email.me>, 
clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP says...
> 
> On 2024-03-27, Craig A. Berry <craigberry at nospam.mac.com> wrote:
> > On 3/27/24 8:43 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> >> On 2024-03-26, Craig A. Berry <craigberry at nospam.mac.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Ah, ok.  I just got a rather generic e-mail entitled "Updates to VSI
> >>> Community License Program," not the personal one you got.  It occurs to
> >>> me I don't even have a current license since my applications in
> >>> September and October 2023 were never either accepted or rejected.  For
> >>> OpenVMS x86 I've been using the registration loophole where a prior
> >>> account on the service portal provides the ability to download a PAK.
> >>> If that's over then I guess I'm done.  I applied for this new vmdk thing
> >>> today and this time didn't even get an automated acknowledgement, so
> >>> it's looking like this one may be ignored like my previous two applications.
> >> 
> >> I wonder what happens to Perl on VMS in that case ?
> >> 
> >> Are VSI packaging your Perl version in x86-64 VMS or are they maintaining
> >> their own Perl port ?
> >
> > They are not maintaining their own port.
> >
> 
> So IOW, VSI are packaging something you have created as part of their
> base installation.
> 
> > I guess I'll see what results from my application for the new community
> > license.  I could probably qualify as an ambassador based on work I've
> > done in the past, but it's a little vague what the expectations are and
> > I don't have a lot of confidence they can actually process applications
> > for anything based on recent experience.
> >
> 
> Given the above, you should not have to apply to continue getting free
> access to VMS systems, and you certainly should not have to go through
> this pre-built system only setup.
> 
> IMHO, the fact VSI have not already contacted you and arranged for your
> continued free access to VMS systems, and based on the current setup, is
> a major mistake on the part of VSI.
> 
> Given what you have provided to VSI for free, you should not be having
> to apply for anything. :-(
> 
> I hope one of the VSI employees reading comp.os.vms are already having
> a quiet word with the people responsible for this to get this situation
> fixed quickly.
> 
> I would also recommend VSI review all the other open source software they
> make available which is maintained by non-VSI people and arrange for those
> people to have immediate continued access with the minimum of fuss and
> change required.
> 
> If anyone reading this agrees with the above, could you say so here ?
> It might provoke VSI into rapidly fixing this screwup by them.

I wonder how many people maintaining open-source packages will even 
think its still worthwhile if the only people who can benefit from it 
are corporate users.

Getting continued free access to OpenVMS for only as long as you're 
maintaining some open-source package and only really for the benefit of 
commercial users sounds more like an unpaid job than anything. 

If VSI doesn't want to give away something for free anymore for the 
benefit of the community, I'm not sure why VSI should expect this stuff 
to be maintained for free for the benefit of their customers. If VSI 
wants it they ought to be paying money for it.