I agree with Karsten's comments (which I don't think have yet appeared on the Usenet list at my site). I add that the question about "purchase authority" makes little sense in an organization like mine. I decided that I do have "purchase authority", rather than merely the ability to "recommend software". This is because if (very big if which the survey completely ignores) the SAS/Linux license fee is reasonable (akin to SAS/win95 pricing), then I simply will tell the administrative people to tell the purchasing people to get me a copy and it will be done. Ultimately the "authority" is with the accounting department, but I had to guess that that's not what the survey designer meant.

OTOH I do not have and would not want purchase authority for software such as the SAS/AIX which I currently use -- that's purchased and maintained by the computer center, and all I do is run the program from my end-user AIX account.

The question as worded could only begin to make sense in organizations much different than a large research university -- like the one where Goodnight got his start.

William Kreuter, Senior Computer Specialist, University of Washington Ctr. for Cost & Outcomes Research, 146 N. Canal St. #300, Seattle, WA 98103 billyk@u.washington.edu http://weber.u.washington.edu/~billyk/ voice or voice mail: 206-543-5007 fax: 206-543-5318 mailstop: 358853