[sword-devel] John Gill

[Chris Little]

Bob,

My use of the word 'avarice' was an allusion to part of Pergamum's message
to which I was replying.  And preceding it with 'serious' was merely my
way of expressing that in my opinion charging for PD texts is worse than
fraudulent copyrights.  It wasn't really meant to be that insulting.

Furthermore, I never implied any disagreement with Logos' handling of
non-PD/free texts.  Works still under copyright of couse need to carry a
price.  But works in the public domain really shouldn't, not even after
they're SGML formatted or proof-read.

You ask whether we would expect to pay for a book printed on paper.  Yes,
we would, but electronic books are infinitely reproducible at zero cost.
When I pay $20 for a KJV in print, I usually get it in a nice leather
binding at least.

I must, myself, take exception to your statement that SWORD "is nowhere
near the strenth of the commercial competitors."  IMO, SWORD is bar-none
the best Bible software for doing what it does, which is key-based
lookups and searches.  The only three commercial products with which I am
familiar (Online Bible, PC Study Bible, and Logos) all have fairly
horrible interfaces for lookups and searches.  (Actually, I'll credit
Logos with being good for searches.)  Online Bible and Logos both seem
focused on presenting books to be read from start to finish (who reads
whole books on their computer screen?) to the detriment of their lookup
and search (i.e. study and reference) facilities.  PC Study Bible is just
all around pretty horrible software... no redeeming qualitites. :)

Anyway, that said, I really don't feel you have no right to be in business
or any such thing.  I strongly dislike some of your business practices
with regards to charging for PD texts (I mean c'mon, $3 a piece for the
constitution or the declaration of independence, what's the point?) but if
someone is foolish enough to pay for them, that's their problem I guess.  

--Chris Little

PS. I agree with Troy that it would be great if Logos took over the 
locking/payment issues that SWORD can't handle.