[sword-devel] Does "Open Source" scare off publishers? [Was: One thing That I would like to see...]

[Lynn Allan]

<alert comment="uninformed opinion from someone who is not all that
experienced about the issues and who has developed several open source
freeware projects and who believes in open source... and
ianal.ndipootv">

I speculate that Bible publishers are more inclined to be receptive to
working with "closed source" venders. I would worry if I were them ...
whether the large expense to translate, publish, and market was "at
risk" from "crackable" encryption.

How closed is a module if the customized compression is open source in
a svn available .cpp file?  mod2vpl seems to invite "verse mongers"
... as near as I can tell.

I give the publishers of texts such as MKJV, LITV, etc. much credit
for making their Bible texts available to open source "verders".

But I am astonished that Bibles such as the ESV, MSG, AMP, etc are
available at no charge to closed source "vender(s)". To God be the
glory ... and I believe those publishers are "storing up" some hearty
"well done good and faithful servant" comments from our Savior.

<warning comment="perhaps reopening a tired topic">
I am basically sympathetic to recovering costs and making a healthy
profit on Bible publishing. Opinions obviously differ. <g>

I think that profitability has a lot to do with the "embarrassment of
riches" that English speaking Christians have ... an enormous number
of good to excellent choices. I belief Adam Smith was a minister and
considered that the "invisible hand of self-interest" was Biblically
not so bad .... perhaps even inspired in such a fallen world. I
suppose it will be on "the other side" that we will be more fully
aware of just how miserably fallen we are.

I recall a quote from Troy G (or mpj ...the WEB principal translater?)
that the Word of God is so powerful, that even marginally adequate
translations are sufficient for knowing what we need to know about
God, His Son, His expectations, and our salvation. (not that the WEB
is only marginally adequate).

We have more of a problem with "bruises on our noses" from thumping
each other with our KJV perference over the NIV, for example, or vice
verse. Advocates of literal translations may "look down their noses"
at equivalent translations. TR vs Alexandrian squabbles. Please. Just
Say No. We are truly blessed.
</warning>

If I understood a previous post, the idea of getting an "unlock key"
from a commercial publisher that works with CrossWire has a lot of
merit. Considering the CD delivery delays that at least used to be the
case, do we really want to be in that line of business?

I wonder about the idea of talking to the ESV publishers about
providing customized executables. They distribute a CD with their
hardcopy, and it could possibly include one or more sword executables
that installed and "just worked". I don't know how that would work
with GPL, however. ianal

Oops ... I was trying to behave myself and tone down the "who cares"
opinions ...

</alert>