Re: [ProgSoc] software and food recipes

[Justin Warren <justin.warren@nospam.edion.com>]

On Thu, May 10, 2001 at 04:24:59PM +1000, James Wan wrote:
> > Recipes get better by people passing them around, scrutinising them,
> > adding things, trying different flavour combinations.
> 
> How does that help the original chef, who probably laboured for hours
> using trial and error to get the right flavours and texture, spending his
> money on ingredients and heating, only to find his mate across the road
> just pinched his recipe for no money at all?

I'm bored and I need a break from writing documentation, so I'm going
to respond to this, further illustrating how vapid your pathetic
scribblings are. That and progsoc@nospam. hasn't had a good flamewar for a while. :)

More important is how exactly someone else making use of a recipe _harms_ the 
original chef? What exactly has been 'pinched'? If he's any good, his 
reputation will stand alone, ensuring that he remains employed and continues 
to create great food and great recipes. Ditto for his 'mate across the road'. 
If he's any good, adding a recipe to his already quite extensive repertoir 
will be an incremental improvement, which is good for consumers everywhere.
Even if he's not much good, he might improve, and how is that bad?

Now imagine that because of the GNU Pastry License, by copying the recipe, 
the 'mate' chef has to share any variations on that recipe with anyone who 
asks. Suddenly chefs everywhere are able to create this great food. Oh 
glorious rapture for the combined palates of the world! 

One has to wonder if you know how to cook and how much it cost you.

-- 
Justin Warren - Senior Consultant, Edion Pty Ltd
  justin.warren@nospam.edion.com | http://www.edion.com
"Yes, but we're BOFHen.  We're *expected* to horrify the punters daily and
 twice on Thursdays."
  -- adb in a.s.r
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