Re: [Hampshire] simple description of open source etc.

> I have the most problems with the latter - in a business context people
> think that not charging for something does not make sense, so therefore
> there must be a catch or the software is useless.

I always emphasise Free over free.

By the time my customers have paid for my time building a system, the
initial outlay might not be that different from a commercially available
proprietary system.

What they gain is the Freedom to do stuff with what I leave on site. That
includes just paying me to keep it ticking over, as well as taking over
that role themselves or getting someone else entirely in to do the job.
They are not locked in to my services; they return because they like the
job I do.

I've even had customers ask if they can sell on what they buy from me - to
which the answer is "yes, as long as you satisfy the licence conditions
for redistribution". It is at that point that they generally realise that
the value they get from me is in the work I do, not the product I pass on.

Vic.