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@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
<h1>Boost Background Information</h1>
<h2>Why should an organization use Boost?</h2>
<p>
In one word, <i><b>Productivity</b></i>. Use of high-quality libraries like
In a word, <i><b>Productivity</b></i>. Use of high-quality libraries like
Boost speeds initial development, results in fewer bugs,
reduces reinvention-of-the-wheel, and cuts long-term maintenance costs. And
since Boost libraries tend to become de facto or de jure standards, many
@ -47,32 +47,40 @@ Who's Using Boost page</a> for a sampling. We don't know the exact numbers, but
a release gets around 100,000 downloads from SourceForge, and that is only one
of several distribution routes.</p>
<h2>What do others say about Boost?</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.gotw.ca/">Herb Sutter</a> and
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Alexandrescu">Andrei Alexandrescu</a>,
in <a href="http://safari.awprofessional.com/?XmlId=0321113586">C++ Coding
Standards</a>, say <i><b>&quot;...one of the most highly regarded and expertly
<p> <i><b>&quot;...one of the most highly regarded and expertly
designed C++ library projects in the world.&quot;</b></i></p>
<p><a href="http://www.aristeia.com/">Scott Meyers</a>, in
<a href="http://www.awl.com/cseng/titles/0-321-33487-6/">Effective C++, 3rd Ed.</a>,
says <b><i>&quot;Item 55: Familiarize yourself with Boost.&quot;</i></b></p>
<p><a href="http://www.research.att.com/~bs/">Bjarne Stroustrup</a>, in
<a href="http://www.research.att.com/~bs/abstraction.pdf">Abstraction,
libraries, and efficiency in C++</a>, says: <i><b>&quot;The obvious solution for most
<blockquote>
<p>-- <a href="http://www.gotw.ca/">Herb Sutter</a> and
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Alexandrescu">Andrei Alexandrescu</a>,
<a href="http://safari.awprofessional.com/?XmlId=0321113586">C++ Coding
Standards</a> </p>
</blockquote>
<p> <b><i>&quot;Item 55: Familiarize yourself with Boost.&quot;</i></b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>-- <a href="http://www.aristeia.com/">Scott Meyers</a>,
<a href="http://www.awl.com/cseng/titles/0-321-33487-6/">Effective C++, 3rd Ed.</a> </p>
</blockquote>
<p> <i><b>&quot;The obvious solution for most
programmers is to use a library that provides an elegant and efficient
platform independent to needed services. Examples are BOOST...&quot;</b></i></p>
<blockquote>
<p>--<i><b> </b></i><a href="http://www.research.att.com/~bs/">Bjarne Stroustrup</a>,
<a href="http://www.research.att.com/~bs/abstraction.pdf">Abstraction,
libraries, and efficiency in C++</a> </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>How do users get support?</h2>
<p>For relatively straight-forward support needs, users rely on the
<a href="more/mailing_lists.htm">mailing lists and newsgroups</a>. One of the
advantages of Boost is the responsiveness of both other users and Boost
<p>For relatively straightforward support needs, users rely on the
<a href="more/mailing_lists.htm">mailing lists</a>. One of the
advantages of Boost is the responsiveness of other users and Boost
developers.</p>
<p>For more involved needs, <a href="more/links.htm#Commercial%20Support">
Commercial Support</a> is also available.</p>
Commercial Support</a> is available.</p>
<h2>What about license issues?</h2>
<p>Boost has its own <a href="more/license_info.html">license</a>, developed
with help from the Harvard Law School.&nbsp; The
<a href="more/license_info.html">Boost license polices</a> encourage both
commercial and non-commercial use, and the Boost license is not related to the
GPL or other licenses which are sometimes seen as business unfriendly.</p>
GPL or other licenses - that are sometimes seen as business unfriendly.</p>
<h2>What about other intellectual property issues?</h2>
<p>The Boost libraries tend to be new, fresh, and creative designs. They are not
copies, clones, or derivations of proprietary libraries. Boost has a firm policy
@ -82,13 +90,12 @@ source code has been inspected by many, many knowledgeable programmers. Each
Boost file has a copyright notice and license information. IP issues have been
reviewed by the legal teams from some of the corporations which use Boost, and
in some cases these lawyers have been kind enough to give Boost feedback on IP
issues. No guarantees, but those factors all tend to reduce IP risk.</p>
issues. There are no guarantees, but those factors all tend to reduce IP risk.</p>
<h2>Why would anyone give away valuable software for free?</h2>
<p>Businesses and other organizations contribute everything from tiny patches up
to complete libraries, when doing so is cheaper and/or higher quality than
commercial software. This is particularly true for software they have a need
for, but don't consider proprietary because it is of a general or utility
nature.</p>
<p>Businesses and other organizations often prefer to have code developed,
maintained, and improved in the open source community when it does not contain
technology specific to their application domain, because it allows them to focus
more development resources on their core business.</p>
<p>Individuals contribute for the technical challenge, to hone their technical
skills, for the sense of community, as part of their graduate school programs,
as a way around geographic isolation, to enhance their employment opportunities,