> The proposed limitations on NCBI DO interfere
> with the academic software developers. We simply do not have the
> resources to produce professional quality tools with slick user-interfaces
> and inter-platform compatibility. Toolkits of the type that the
> NCBI has developed are a way out of this dilemma. We will not
> get them from industry, because it is not in their interest to
> create them.
Brian,
I agree with many of the other points that you make in your
thoughtful posting, but I do want to bring up another alternative in
the above case. Academic developers can always try to *license* their
software to commercial companies. If this goes against their grain to
profit from their work, then I can obviously understand their
reluctance to do so. For those who are less fastidious, the resources
*are* there if their program is sufficiently useful to enough
scientists to make it commercially viable. If an NCBI interface was
only used on programs with limited appeal, then commercial companies
would obviously have no complaints. If the program does have
commercial appeal, but the author's scruples prevent him from marketing
it, then we have another kettle of fish as to whether or not the
taxpayer should subsidize such cases.
Dave
