Re: What so special about PostgreSQL and other RDBMS?

"Noons" <wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au.nospam> wrote in message news:40b72719$0$8988$afc38c87_at_news.optusnet.com.au...
> Howard J. Rogers wrote:
>
> > But doesn't it rather depend on *what* is free and what is being sold?
>
> No. If it is free software, it can't be sold. Or else 2 and 2 is not 22
> and we might as well all surrender to hype.

Well, actually, if one were to get pedantic about, the definition of "vendor" is "one that sells", and the definition of "sell" is, variously,   1.. To exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent. Now what the "equivalent" of money might be, who can say. Shells have done in their time. Perhaps time and effort trying to find decent free software might count?
  1.. To offer for sale, as for one's business or livelihood: The partners sell textiles.
  2.. To give up or surrender in exchange for a price or reward: sell one's soul to the devil.
  3.. To be purchased in (a certain quantity); achieve sales of: a book that sold a million copies.
  4..
    1.. To bring about or encourage sales of; promote: Good publicity sold the product.

    2.. To cause to be accepted; advocate successfully: We sold the proposal to the school committee.
  5.. To persuade (another) to recognize the worth or desirability of something: They sold me on the idea.
And under the 5th definition, one could definitely say that RedHat et al are "selling" Linux, even though it's free.

Lexically, I think a vendor could sell something that's free, actually.

Regards
HJR
>
> >
> > Alternatively, it could just be the attractive cardboard box in which
the
> > CDs are packaged that is being sold.
>
> And a very high quality cardboard it is too! :)
>
> --
> Cheers
> Nuno Souto
> wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au.nospam
Received on Fri May 28 2004 - 06:59:24 CDT