Well, it looks like I've inadvertently wandered into a minefield yet again.
:)
On this issue, I'll make the following comments:
* The EnvironmentalStats module was indeed created by Dr Steve Millard, and
is sold and marketed by Insightful. The name does conceal somewhat the
module's widespread utility, but given the range of examples and references,
and the fact that it provides companion software to the book "Environmental
Statistics with S-PLUS" (available separately from CRC Press), that's the
name we went with.
* S-PLUS doesn't contain built-in functions for general estimation of
parameters from distributions, although it's easy to roll your own (see V&R
and archives of this list, for example). Since such functionality does
exist in S+EnvironmentalStats, our resources are better spent in other
areas: adding new features or improving existing ones.
* We don't incorporate all of the modules, for free, into base S-PLUS, for
the simple economic reason that if there wasn't revenue associated with them
the resources would never have been available to develop or licence
specialised modules in the first place. I'd also gently point out that our
commercial competitors generally provide much less in their base packages
and at a higher price (the new Missing Data and Robust libraries in S-PLUS 6
being cases in point).
Hopefully, I've disarmed this particular mine ... but I'm sure there are
more in my path!
# David
--
David M Smith <dsmith@insightful.com>
S-PLUS Product Marketing Manager, Insightful Corp, Seattle WA
Tel: +1 (206) 283 8802 x360
Fax: +1 (206) 283 0347
Insightful Corporation provides analytical solutions leveraging
S-PLUS, StatServer, S-PLUS Analytic Server and consulting services.
See www.insightful.com for details.
|