Well,
if it is true that StataCorp depends on the manuals for a significant share
of their profits, then do not expect them to surrender this position
voluntarily. As a matter of fact, you buy the entire range of manuals the
first time you purchase Stata. Subsequently, you skip one release where you
contend with only the base manual set: the changes from one release to
another are not as dramatic as to justify purchasing the whole range after
only two years. In any event, changes to commands can be undone with the
-version- statement, and the online help shipped with Stata has also been
improved...
Martin Weiss
_________________________________________________________________
Diplom-Kaufmann Martin Weiss
Mohlstrasse 36
Room 415
72074 Tuebingen
Germany
Fon: 0049-7071-2978184
Home: http://www.wiwi.uni-tuebingen.de/cms/index.php?id=1130
Publications: http://www.wiwi.uni-tuebingen.de/cms/index.php?id=1131
SSRN: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=669945
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Raphael Fraser
Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 5:53 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: st: A Thought
Message to Stata
What I am about to say may sound a bit out of the ordinary but here goes.
Along with each release of Stata comes Stata Manuals. These manuals
are essential for Stata programmers and others but can prove costly
for some. In addtion to selling print versions of the manuals, why not
make its contents freely available online? Why would Stata want to do
this? I think there is a large group of non-Stata programmers and
other users that would benefit from this. For example. there are SAS
and R programmers who would consider adding Stata to their programming
tool kit. Making the manuals available on-line would indeed reduce
"learning frustration" and make it much easier for those who
contemplate switching. Or for those wanting to switch.
What are YOUR thoughts?
Raphael
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* For searches and help try:
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* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
