I purchased my Tormach with a TMC so getting PP should not be an issue for me. Since Tormach is selling the Mesa card for approximately the MSRP they aren't making a lot on the card + software. Their real win for them is to have a more competitive product with software that they can fix/extend.
My understanding of "open source" is that various people contribute and, in turn, others can use and extend the product themselves. THIS IS NOT "STEALING" BUT MERELY FOLLOWING THE RULES! Please explain why you feel this is "stealing".
What rowbare suggests is exactly the advantage of open source. Another addition that would be appreciated by many is adding support for various common pendants such as the ones from VistaCNC.
Keeping the suggested forum here seems like a good idea. What has to be done to add a new group to CNC Zone? Wherever the group is hosted please count me in!