Everyone wants money for their code... Why?

Coming from the world of OSS I'm abit confused while I'm trying to
learn Visual Basic Scripting. It seems everyone wants money for code
to do things I'd assumed were built-in features. For example, I'm
trying to write a script to query an MS SQL database and print the
details, and in research I found a script which does almost this --
except it emails the results instead of prints them. I thought, what a
wonderful thing to have, so I started working with the script to learn
VBScript. Here's the site: http://www.sqlteam.com/item.asp?ItemID=5908

Well it appears this script uses code from a company called
ServerObjects http://www.serverobjects.com/ which wants money to use
their ASPMail program. The example mentions another company which also
wants to dip into the wallet to use their code. I've ran across this
while working in Sharepoint also, and it seems all the many features I
assumed Sharepoint and now VBS would have outta the box but doesn't
have been written by third-party companies who want a good chunk of
change to add. For me while learning and experimenting I can't shell
out money everytime I want to learn how to do a new programming task.

Why does it cost to get this code? Why don't more open source
programmers write and share wonderful code as they do in other areas of
coding? I'm seriously trying to learn more Microsoft programming
languages, but it seems every bend in the road someone wants to dip
into my wallet.

Sorry for such an email, but it is quite frustrating...

Thanks for the listen, and I promise I'm off my soap box :) Just had
to ask though.

Alex

Babu
Thu Aug 17 10:03:50 CDT 2006

yes... many people write and compile objects in the form of compiled DLL's
that you must buy in order to use.
ususlly these objects are what the company considers easier ways to do
something that already exists.

for exampleASPMail does the same thing as the built in CDO, or CDOSYS
objects... they send mail!
but they feel that people should buy them because maybe they have an added
feature that cdo doesnt have.




"Alex" <samalex@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1155825674.399441.186110@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Coming from the world of OSS I'm abit confused while I'm trying to
> learn Visual Basic Scripting. It seems everyone wants money for code
> to do things I'd assumed were built-in features. For example, I'm
> trying to write a script to query an MS SQL database and print the
> details, and in research I found a script which does almost this --
> except it emails the results instead of prints them. I thought, what a
> wonderful thing to have, so I started working with the script to learn
> VBScript. Here's the site: http://www.sqlteam.com/item.asp?ItemID=5908
>
> Well it appears this script uses code from a company called
> ServerObjects http://www.serverobjects.com/ which wants money to use
> their ASPMail program. The example mentions another company which also
> wants to dip into the wallet to use their code. I've ran across this
> while working in Sharepoint also, and it seems all the many features I
> assumed Sharepoint and now VBS would have outta the box but doesn't
> have been written by third-party companies who want a good chunk of
> change to add. For me while learning and experimenting I can't shell
> out money everytime I want to learn how to do a new programming task.
>
> Why does it cost to get this code? Why don't more open source
> programmers write and share wonderful code as they do in other areas of
> coding? I'm seriously trying to learn more Microsoft programming
> languages, but it seems every bend in the road someone wants to dip
> into my wallet.
>
> Sorry for such an email, but it is quite frustrating...
>
> Thanks for the listen, and I promise I'm off my soap box :) Just had
> to ask though.
>
> Alex
>

Justin
Thu Aug 17 10:18:38 CDT 2006

On Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:41:14 -0500, Alex <samalex@gmail.com> wrote:

> Coming from the world of OSS I'm abit confused while I'm trying to
> learn Visual Basic Scripting. It seems everyone wants money for code
> to do things I'd assumed were built-in features. For example, I'm
> trying to write a script to query an MS SQL database and print the
> details, and in research I found a script which does almost this --
> except it emails the results instead of prints them.

Many such things are actually built in, though their presence is often not
immediately obvious. In the particular example you cite, CDO[1] could be
used in place of ASPMail.

> Why does it cost to get this code? Why don't more open source
> programmers write and share wonderful code as they do in other areas of
> coding? I'm seriously trying to learn more Microsoft programming
> languages, but it seems every bend in the road someone wants to dip
> into my wallet.

There are many free scripts on Aspin[2] and other such sites. Most are
freeware, which is of course not in exactly the same spirit as actual open
source software, but they do typically come with the source and permit
whatever local modifications you like.

Sourceforge hosts a few projects that target the ASP platform, as well.

[1] About CDO for Windows 2000
http://windowssdk.msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms527525.aspx
[2] Aspin: ASP Scripts, Applications, Tutorials, ASP hosting
http://www.aspin.com/

--
Justin Piper
Bizco Technologies
http://www.bizco.com/

mayayana
Thu Aug 17 20:28:28 CDT 2006

> Why does it cost to get this code?

There's plenty of free sample code and lots of free
components available. And there are a number of ways
to send email via VBScript - for free - if you want to do
the research. (Methods are available but they won't
just jump into your lap.)

If you don't want to be bothered, then there are
companies writing things like ASPMail. You can
pay them to do some of the work for you. Isn't that
fair?

> Why don't more open source
> programmers write and share wonderful code
> as they do in other areas of
> coding?

Why, indeed. What are you waiting for?
If you want to be an idealistic open source socialist
then you have to chip in. You can't just be a
"consumer".