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Opposing Open Source?

Carl Nasal asks: "For a college class I'm taking, I have to write a research paper. I chose a topic of how open source software affects businesses, focusing on the use of Linux. While doing searches, I have actually found it hard to find opposing views of open source software. Mainly, what I'm looking for, are opinions, articles, looks, and evidence about the drawbacks of using open source software in business. They can either be online or offline, but preferably from reliable sources. (In other words, I'd rather not just have someone's homepage that loves Microsoft and hates Linux.)" The more constructive criticism we get about the drawbacks of Open Source, the better we can address and fix them.

9 of 567 comments (clear)

  1. Easy answer by scott1853 · · Score: 5, Funny

    You should talk to Jim Allchin, he has some non-biased views on open source and he's an industry leader.

    http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4833927.html

    Kidding aside, it's probably relevant to your assignment.

  2. I've always wondered. (OT) by JackDeth · · Score: 2, Funny

    Do hot-cakes really sell that good?
    Are there any public companies that are in the hot-cake business?
    What are their ticker symbols?

  3. Re:Opposing Opinions of Open Source by SnapShot · · Score: 2, Funny

    Do a google search for "Microsoft and Virus". Skip past the 4,023,821,349,128,312 entries that refer to viruses that affect MS products and you'll find a quote from Bill equating software libre with viruses.

    --
    Waltz, nymph, for quick jigs vex Bud.
  4. Of course you can't... by costas · · Score: 5, Funny

    I mean, how can anybody argue with the notion that a Cathedral is somehow inferior to a Bazaar? We all know Bazaars where it's at, that's what people look at these days, and travel to Paris and Rome and places to see and marvel at. Hardly anybody stops by the Notre Damme.

    It's also pretty clear that anarchy by design and design by anarchy work well. After all, open source has brought some exceptionally innovative technologies to IT consumers in the past few years. We now can finally parse flat text files with greater speeds and more flexibility than ever before! And we keep bug-compatibility to programs written for 1960s computers that can be outperformed by a wristwatch! Now, that's what I call technology! Object orientation? component programming? that's for wussies who can't code in C, sh, or perl!

    Finally, how can traditional software businesses compete with the multi-level marketing scheme of proselytizing users that become testers and developers and finally evangelists? It's obvious that all great engineering and scientific endeavours have been benefitted by active recruitement and by popular opinion, not some arrogant dude's idea of what 'right' is.

    After all, software is tantamount to *speech*, not machinery. It should be spoken and transmitted freely, not designed and crafted like some piece of steel.

    Oh, yeah, there was something else, but I am sure the replies to this will fill you in... something about advocacy or something...

  5. Re:my problem with open source software by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Ignore your pathetic attempts at humor, for a start.

  6. Re:Opposing View by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes, this is true.

    People will have more money left to alcohol and other drugs. This can be a big burden for the society.

  7. Freedom! by IGnatius+T+Foobar · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, if you think about it, Richard Stallman is always talking about freedom, and talking about talking about freedom... presumably this means that you have the freedom to telephone Richard Stallman in the middle of the night and ask him to give you free tech support for Emacs. I don't think he has any choice other than to provide it for you.

    --
    Tired of FB/Google censorship? Visit UNCENSORED!
  8. OT What's a moderator to do... by re-geeked · · Score: 5, Funny

    My god, this whole article is like some kind of special troll trap! Maybe Slashdot is going to delete the accounts of anyone modded up on the thread... (are you listening, Taco?)

    What do I do with all this crap? Do I start posting reasoned replies? That would be troll-feeding, and might take hours. Do I mod them all to hell? Not really fair, since they asked for anti-OSS, but they're all so, so... WRONG!

    It's like having my eyelids forced open to watch the XP launch or something!

    Aaaaaugghh!

    Quick, click on the Science section! Ah, that's better...

    --
    "You can't get something for nothing." - my grandfather, on the stock market and Reaganomics.
  9. We have a reservation... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    "yes?"


    "Jack and Wendy Wiiiiiiner"