Re: Including Octave in NCLab

[Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso]

2012/4/14 Pavel Solin <address@hidden>:
> 2012/4/14 Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso <address@hidden>
>>
>> On 13 April 2012 22:57, Pavel Solin <address@hidden> wrote:
>> >   I would like to ask whether it is OK to include Octave in NCLab
>> > (http://nclab.com).
>>
>> As far as GPL compliance goes, it's probably ok, if I understand
>> correctly how it's working. I wouldn't like to endorse non-free
>> software, though, so if you can make NCLab free, that would be much
>> preferrable (and if it were free, you wouldn't even have to be
>> asking us if it's ok to use Octave with it).

>   thank you very much for the prompt reply. Allow me a brief
> explanation why NCLab is not completely free, as you suggested.
>
> NCLab is free for you and any other individual user and we even  pay
> for the cloud resources that you use. But NCLab can't be  completely
> free for institutions whose resource utilization is much  heavier.

You realise that I am not using the word "free" to mean "gratis",
right? It's perfectly fine to charge per use of resources. If someone
is using your servers and spiking your electric and cooling bills, of
course you should send them a bill.

This is separate from the issue of making NCLab free software. I think
you should grant your users the same right that Octave has granted you
and everyone else who uses it: allow inspection of the source code and
free collaboration. Your business is in hosting and administration,
and that's where your income comes from. There are examples of other
successful busines models like this: identi.ca (Status.net), and
gitorious are successful businesses built on top of free software,
using the AGPLv3.

- Jordi G. H.