Knowledge should be free, if you want to read a copy of someone's book or go to a library, there's nothing to stop you from learning that knowledge and retaining it.

But.. you can't expect to get something of value for nothing. Everything has a cost. Even here. Yes people here help other people because there nice, but also they get help too. Everyone helping each other. It's a much less capatilistic transaction but it's still the transfer of something valuable in exchange for something valuable.
(Though the bigger contributors certainly have given a lot more than they received!)

I use Programming Perl, The Perl Cookbook, Learning Perl or the Perl CD Bookshelf at least once every single day. Should they be compensated for this? Of course they should. IMHO, they paid for themselves many times over. There have been few purchases that were of a better value. Always feel like I got a great deal when I get an O'Reilly book!

-Lee

"To be civilized is to deny one's nature."

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