I have only had half an eye on my incoming newsfeeds this week but one that did catch said that SixApart was barely making a miserable 50 cents a copy on MovableType. So when they announced a new pricing structure it was no surprise. It seems to have caught others by surprise, judging by the whingeing response from users. What is it with thse guys?
In one of his best posts for a while, Dave Winer reminds us that things cost money —“When you drive to the gas station, try whining at the attendant, and see how much gas you get. Do it enough and they’ll call the cops”—and that it is miserable for software developers when users take them for granted in this way. In many ways I find this a more depressing portent for our civilization than what the situation over Iraq.
I use a lot of great, free software—and lots more for which I pay a trivial amount. (There is of course, some essential stuff that costs an awful lot, but that’s another story.) Some developers accept donations and I am happy to give back something to those who have given me real value. Movable Type is one such: I planned to make a donation when I read the 50 cent story. Now I shall simply purchase a licence and still think myself lucky.
