[R] Could someone email me with the code for glm.nb ?

Liaw, Andy andy_liaw at merck.com
Mon Mar 29 15:40:54 CEST 2004


Dear Dr. Brainard,

In addition to what Roger has pointed out, I would like to point out one
fact that you seem not to be aware of.  Open source software, by and large,
have licences, just as the proprietary ones.  Openly asking others to send
you the code, IMHO, is plain disregard of the licence for which the software
is covered under.  In this case all you received seems to be bruised ego,
but in other situation you might be visited by law enforcement, or a letter
from some attorney, neither of which I doubt you will find `friendlier'.  I
do not know how user-contributed code in Stata are licenced, but that's for
you to investigate.  Please do not confuse open source with public domain.

Also, there is nothing to prevent you from installing add-on packages
without root priviledge.  You can install packages anywhere that you have
read/write access.  The help pages for install.packages() and library() have
all the details, and I am quite sure you do not require assistance in
reading them.

With regard to your previous question: Given the tone that you asked the
question in, the most polite response I can squeeze out of myself is `Why
would I care to tell you?'  Have you tried asking your thesis advisor why
you should read his or her papers?

Best Regards,
Andy Liaw, PhD
Biometrics Research      PO Box 2000, RY33-300     
Merck Research Labs           Rahway, NJ 07065
mailto:andy_liaw at merck.com        732-594-0820



> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch 
> [mailto:r-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch] On Behalf Of 
> J.Brainard at uea.ac.uk
> Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 1:47 AM
> To: r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch
> Subject: Re: [R] Could someone email me with the code for glm.nb ?
> 
> 
> 
> It is a pity that both times I have tried to use R  and the R-mailing
> list that I received unpleasant replies, esp. coming from Ripley
> himself this time.  Last time I simply asked "Why would I want to
> use R over Splus??"  Which provoked some apologies that I wasn't to 
> know that this would touch a nerve, in addition to a volume of ranting
> and raving.  At least Ripley's reply wasn't vitriolic.  
>  
> I did not install R.  I wouldn't even try.  It's available centrally 
> running on a Unix machine.  Trying to access glm.nb() at the R prompt
> leads to these replies from R:
> 
> >glm.nb
> Error: "glm.nb" Object not found
> >
> 
> 
> Which is why I though I could just ask for the simple text
> function code, type it in, correct typos, make it work, fool-proof, 
> low hassle....  Hahahahahahahhaa.
> 
> I don't have root priveleges and unashamedly
> admit to not having the ability to install either MASS or the
> negbin shell archive library (I spent many frustrating failed 
> hours last
> time I tried to do that).  I didn't realise R was only for software 
> whizzes.  Now I know!
> 
> 
> Investment in people is not my employer's strong suit.  Seems to come
> with university environments.  Some of us aren't that 
> important -- except
> as convenient targets for being belittled, of course.
> 
> Maybe the employer will fork out for me to learn Stata and Limdep 
> instead, eh?  At least the user-support-groups & might be 
> friendlier.  
> I had foolishly thought that the R community, having an ethos of self-
> sufficiency, might be friendlier and more responsive than going 
> via the Splus list.  Boy am I stupid or what?
> 
> -Julii
> 
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> 
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