Slashdot Mirror
Open Source Limitations?
_aargh writes "This ZDNet article by John Carroll makes the claim that open source is flawed because there isn't a way for programmers to earn money by developing open source software. It annoyed me so much that I wrote this response to it on the O'Reilly Network."
And pretty much discounted it after I thought for 2 seconds.
Profit is not the only reason why people use Open Source (aka - me).
We use it/develop for it/fund development for it because we get more stable software. More secure software. Software that has less bloat, and is less likely to lock me into a vendor that might turn into an asshole later (like trying to get me to pay for my software every year...or else).
If you look in the narrow world of profit - then he's still only partly right. How many resumes get you into a great job saying "I developed the XYZ patch for Imagemagik/Linux kernal/Mozilla - and that proves my kick ass ability, so you should hire me if you want that same ability in your employees". Last time I checked, being able to prove your 1337 hax()r skills usually gets you a good job - and good jobs == money, and money == financial incentive.
Of course, I could be wrong.
52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
My STB PCI tv tuner card. Windows 2k drivers? No. Linux drivers? Yes.
My Umax scsi flatbed scanner? Windows 2k drivers? No. Linux? Yes.
Generic external 36k external modem? Windows 2k drivers? Could only ever see it as 28.8k max, and rarely got that high. Linux? Maxed it out, and could care less what brand it was.
Remember, this is on a single computer of mine, not every half-assed example I could think up that I've heard about but never personally experienced. But for the finale, same computer...
Best Windows 2000 uptime I've ever seen? 30 some days, died on a random spontaneous BSOD.
Worst Linux uptime? 30some days... forgot to compile in a rarely used kernel option, and I like to play with that kind of stuff.
Oh, and stop lumping linux in with KDE/Gnome. Those are projects designed to imitate windows' instability... of course they crash. I use wmaker with a screen full of dockapps and rxvt's. Even on a computer this old, its just damn... *zippy*. Once I get rid of Netscape 4, and get around to compiling Mozilla, I will truly have the perfect desktop that I've always lusted after.