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Hi Martin,

you make good points here!

On Oct 1, 2011, at 7:02 AM, CONFOCALMICROSCOPY automatic digest system wrote:

> But coming back to advice suitable for the list rather than a full thesis I
> think you do just have to work out which software will help you to progress
> your research in the most cost effective manor.

Exactly.

> And since its Friday and th=
> e
> list has a more relaxed feeling I will end sharing an albeit cheeky quote I
> quite liked from a visiting sales rep from a software company last year:
> =93Remember, free software is only free to people who=92s time is worth
> nothing.=94

Which reminds me to mention the following often misunderstood point. 

Free  - open source - software
is free in the sense of freedom (everyone is free to use it, modify it, and see how it works)

It is not free in the costs "nothing sense". 
All software costs something to write and thus is worth something. 
It costs someone's time, funding, and/or energy. 

Freedom is not worthless, and neither is free software. 

cheers

Dan

> 
> All the best
> Martin

Dr. Daniel James White BSc. (Hons.) PhD

Leader - Image Processing Facility,
Senior Microscopist,
Light Microscopy Facility.

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Pfotenhauerstrasse 108
01307 DRESDEN
Germany

+49 (0)15114966933 (German Mobile)
+49 (0)351 210 2627 (Work phone at MPI-CBG)
+49 (0)351 210 1078 (Fax MPI-CBG LMF)
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