Free visualization software

[Russell Martin]

Nick Kew wrote:
> 
> >       It's sci.geo.meteorology, sir. One aspect of the science of
> 
> ObPedant: it's a crosspost (I'm reading sci.geo.eos).  But I agree
> that the original post was entirely appropriate here too.
> 
> Next issue: if governments fund development of [XYZ] - in this instance
> JAVA visualisation software - it can make life hard for commercial
> developers to compete in the same field (why pay for my product when
> theirs is free, and backed by the public purse)?  As a developer of
> scientific visualisation software in JAVA, I could be tempted to see
> public funding for someone elses software as unfair competition.
> 

You raise valid points.  Two points to consider in reply:
1. As freeware you *may* get what you pay for in terms of support,
   future upgrades, etc.  Some people will want to go with a commercial
   supplier under the theory, at least, that these will be smaller
   problems.
2. Since the taxpayers paid for its development (presumably for some
   specific internal use, not just to be produced as a software
   package), why shouldn't they get to use it if possible?  That's one
   of the great things about the WWW, IMO.  Much of the stuff that
   taxpayers never used to have access to (in part because only a
   limited number wanted it so it was not fiscally feasible to make it
   available by traditional means, especially cheaply) can now be made
   available for no incremental cost to the taxpayer who already has
   a computer, ISP, etc.  Granted that's not everyone, but in this
   case if they don't have a computer, why would they want a JAVA
   visualization package? :-)

Just $0.02 worth.

Regards,
Russell Martin