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Re:FreePascal and Lazarus Foundation by e12e on Thursday July 07, 2016 @10:45PM (#12053337)
Another tidbit from the introduction: "It’s tough to stay ahead in this business. Turbo Pascal 5.5 appeared in May of 1989, largely as a response to Microsoft’s totally unexpected (but now long-forgotten) QuickPascal. V5.5 brought with it the new dazzle of object-oriented programming, and while I did write the V5.5 OOP Guide manual that Borland published with the V5.5 product I chose to pass on updating Complete Turbo Pascal for either V5.5 or V6.0."

Not to mention: "I mention all this history because I want people to understand where FreePascal from Square One came from, emphasizing that it’s been a work in progress for thirty years. Why stop now? I don’t have to cater to publishers, paper costs, print runs, or release schedules anymore. The book can evolve with the compiler, and every so often you can download the latest update. My publishing company Copperwood Press offers a print-on-demand paper edition if you’d like one, but you can print it yourself if you prefer. That’s how technical publishing ought to be, and someday will be."

Bravo! If this was how copyright worked - that someone could make a (presumably) decent living for a few years, and the give it all away - would not have as much issues with the intellectual property lobby and Micky Mouse extensions.

Either way, I think it is fantastic to see someone liberating a project of 30 years like this!

Re:FreePascal and Lazarus Foundation by JDuntemann on Saturday July 09, 2016 @09:23PM (#12064137)
I was paid for that book four separate times, and made plenty of money on it. I want FreePascal and Lazarus to be better known than they are; hell, I want Pascal to just keep its place in that Great Big Bag o' Programming Languages.

One clarification: I have not yet posted a POD edition of the book, though once it gets a little more toward finished I'm sure I will. You can always print it locally if you want hardcopy.