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2nd OSS Engineering Workshop Papers Online

Posted by timothy on from the white-papers-to-stave-off-white-hair dept.

josephfeller writes: "'Meeting Challenges and Surviving Success: The 2nd Workshop on Open Source Software Engineering' was held last week at the 24th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 2002), in Orlando, FL. The 15 workshop position papers and the workshop introduction are available for free download."

7 comments

  1. interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The papers are quite interesting actually.

    It is too bad that people who write OSS software actually destroy programming as a well paid profession.

    The more code (libraries, components, etc) is available for free, the easier it is to write most programs. So, the less we are paid.

    This WILL happen. It is happening now.

    The more libraries and free code are available, the easyer is to write programs, so writing programs is cheaper.

    Also, if people get used to getting software worth millions of lines of source code for free (as in beer) they get used to the idea that "software is free beer". It's a psychology thing.

    If the OS, the web server, the office suite, etc. cost money, then business people will be used to the idea that software costs money.

    If most things are free (beer), in time, the business people will get accustomed to the idea that software should be free or very inexpensive.

    So, programmers will be paid less.

    :-(

    1. Re:interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As a future CS student and future software engineer, mod this up please!

    2. Re:interesting by WickedLogic · · Score: 1

      Software should be inexpensive. It is the people that keep it running that are expensive. No matter how easy/automated software gets someone has to make and keep it that way.

    3. Re:interesting by stoolpigeon · · Score: 1

      Programmers, like any other profession, will be paid based on supply and demand. There will always be a need for custom software. (I would love to see what percentage of software engineers work on products intended for resale - I bet it is lower than everyone thinks)
      Open source, better tools that make programming easier, etc. will not destroy the profession as there will always be a need for qualified professionals to do difficult work.

      On the other hand - it may make it more difficult for those w/a very narrow background or small skill sets that are easily mastered by others. And what is wrong w/that?

      .

      --
      It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?