To: Prof. Mike Feldman et al.
From: Bob Leif, Ph.D.

This is a topic we should discuss at the Commercializing Ada Workshop at
SigAda. I hope that the following types of individuals will contribute:

AdaSAGE or other developers, who actually use Ada for a product, marketing
people, and defenders of the Free Software Foundation. The latter should
attend to argue against my extreme bias in favor of copyrights and patents.
I am a professional inventor and therefore am very strongly biased in favor
of protecting intellectual property. This has no relevance to the "free"
release of Ada source text. In most cases, I do believe that both the seller
and buyer mutually benefit by having the software delivered in source.
However, I most certainly wish that vocal individuals who disagree with me
will attend and speak.

I intend to propose a very simple solution to the problem of encouraging
individuals and groups to develop Ada components. I believe that an Ada
technology, ASIS, will make it possible without the costs of accountants and
lawyers to equitably divide up royalties on reusable components used to
build Ada Commercial Off Shelf Software Applications. This means one can be
altruistic with the hope of becoming rich.

Let us forget about the mandate. In the true sprit of American Capitalism,
we have been given a magnificent gift by the Defense Department, Software
Technology that works. Our potential competitors have been sent on a wild
goose chase courtesy of Sun and IBM. Since both C++ and Java are, at best,
poor tools, we have a real competitive edge.

I might note that the best way to stop Microsoft, is to make better
products. The customers really would like simple, efficient programs. The
only caveat is that you will have to read in their old files.



-----Original Message-----
From:   Team Ada: Ada Advocacy Issues (83 & 95) [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Michael Feldman
Sent:   Sunday, July 19, 1998 5:39 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Re: Using Ada in commercial railroad systems in U.S

>
> but who will take the task of doing the ADK? this is not a minor task,
> this a big task, but having a standard ADK is what we need.
>
> ok, back to my web server debugging..
>
> thanks,
> Nasser
>
As we've said in this group many times, the Ada community is always
bursting with good ideas about what "we" need, but is also very good
at saying "you" ought to do it....

The Linux and DJGPP groups, OTOH, are bursting with messages announcing
new products; these messages say "look what _I_ did; maybe _you_ can
use it." Very different cultures, unfortunately...

If the "we" in the Ada community really needs all these things so badly,
where are all the "I" people to provide for those needs?

Mike Feldman