[plt-scheme] Re: Change the World

I do 100% govt work, and have even succeeded in getting two more of our 
programmers to use PLT-Scheme.  As for approval from the govt, we 
supply lists of the applications that we have installed (all of them 
have to be approved.)  There are so many apps on our XP & OS X machines 
that they haven't even noticed PLT yet.

All seriousness aside, we need to show traceability.  I intend to refer 
them to the websites and texts (HtDP etc) and to explain scheme's roots 
in current academia.  I use PLT Scheme since I can convince people that 
it has a foundation that appears as solid as any commercial product.

There is probably a difference between my environment and G.K.'s, tho: 
we are a laboratory that is only partially concerned with issues like 
maintenance plans.  However, my two decades of experience have 
convinced me that commercial software is not an obvious solution for 
software maintenance anyway.

rac



On Mar 22, 2005, at 3:21 PM, Matthias Felleisen wrote:
>>
>> I do a lot of government work.  Although they're warming to using 
>> tools like PLT, the thing I hear over and over and over again is, if 
>> there isn't a company behind a product, free software or not, they 
>> won't touch it.  They need accountability for contracts and 
>> maintenance plans to have any meaning.  So if someone can come up 
>> with a business model to support profitably tools like PLT and other 
>> free software, that will help with adoption.  The government lags 
>> about 2-3 years behind the business community, because there are 
>> extra reviews, but it does come around.
>
> Technically drscheme and friends belong to PLT, Inc. -- Matthias
>