The economic model I am aiming at is a hybrid model; this was the original conception that I had for Babel. The code divides into
Shen kernel code ...... Shen license (i.e. $free, hackable but must work)
Editor code ...... BSD (do as thou wilt)
Extensions for editing VHDL, C etc. ...... free choice
The editor is therefore available $free to all with readable sources. There is no GPL because I want people (not just me) to be capable of placing proprietary extensions to Babel. Par excellence it is intended to be programmable. Originally I intended that Shen under Java was going to be used, but too much FUD was generated around that port for me to go with that. We lost some time over that port, but never mind.
But I can certainly build a Shen/CL-TCL/tk version which will work well. If needed, the work could be ported to other platforms. Ramil and I have both, independently, created interfaces from CL to TCL/tk and I need to test them.
But in order for group members to program Babel they need a layer of theoretical knowledge about the use of Shen-YACC, Shen and verification technology. In theory one could arrive at this from first principles by reading TBoS, but actually the journey is not an easy one and requires some deep knowledge not covered even in TBoS. So I would have to sit down and write a book explaining how those things can be done. Once people have grasped the approach, they can use the techniques to write their own Babel extensions. So you will be able to program Babel to help your work in VHDL, Java etc and hopefully sell your skills or work. The Ring itself would be embedded inside Babel.
This book already exists in part and it shows how to construct such a technology for a subset of the C programming language. This is the text The Specification of Programming Languages, referred to near the end of TBoS. I have about 100 pages written.
However the economics needed to sustain all this is still not fixed and this is what I'm struggling to correct. 'Shut up and code' will not hack it. In 2011, money had to come in to make Shen happen. In 2014 we are in the same situation. This time I am looking for a definitive solution. Once I find it, you will be surprised at how fast things will move.
Mark