From: "Bill T." 
To: atm{at}shore.net
Reply-To: "Bill T." 


>Meeting my finished code, and seeing the Source Code is like
>Meeting me in public, and seeing me step out of the shower.

Well said!

The code programmers write for their own use is never clean, crisp, and
commented enough to satisfy a group programming environment.  For that they
have to spend two or three times as long as writing the original code,
roughly.  And I've seen cases where somebody has released perfectly
functional but quick&dirty source code, that was then publicly
ridiculed by snot-nozed punks still wet behind the algorithms.

ATM is a hobby, and we ask a lot of those dedicated souls who have taken
100's of hours (at least!) to write the programs we all can't live without,
and 100's of more hours giving free technical support.  All they get for
this is an occasional muffled grunt of appreciation, and lots of complaints
and gripes.

It would be nice to reward these guys somehow for the big chunks these
programs have taken out of their lives.  We happily pay $20 for a kilo of
pitch, why not at least that much for something we benefit from all the
time?  Easy though, if we pay them too much they might earn a substantial
fraction of minimum wage!  But at least don't make them jump through hoops
and/or give their work away.

Functions can still be shared through object modules, ActiveX's, etc., that
don't expose the source code.  Don't forget ample credit in the final
program for all those who contributed.  Technologies such as ActiveX would
also let each user select his own language.  Just don't make me learn
".net"...

Bill T.



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