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Five Fundamental Problems with Open Source?
meriksen asks: "I found a very interesting paper which I am sure will stir up a hornets nest.
Despite the growing success of the Open Source movement, most of the general public continues to feel that Open Source software is inaccessible to them. This paper discusses five fundamental problems with the current Open Source software development trend, explores why these issues are holding the movement back, and offers solutions that might help overcome these problems." What do you think of the issues given in this paper, and how do you think the Open Source community should address these issues?
"The lack of focus on user interface design causes users to prefer proprietary software's more intuitive interface. Open Source software tends to lack the complete and accessible documentation that retains users. Developers focus on features in their software, rather than ensuring that they have a solid core. Open Source programmers also tend to program with themselves as an intended audience, rather than the general public. Lastly, there is a widely known stubbornness by Open Source programmers in refusing to learn from what lessons proprietary software has to offer. If Open Source software wishes to become widely used and embraced by the general public, all five of these issues will have to be overcome."
The lack of focus on user interface design causes users to prefer proprietary software's more intuitive interface.
:), Apache, etc. No solid core? Or look at Sendmail: Security issues, yes, but enough stability to transport 90%+ of all the world's email, and more features than you can shake a stick at. Next!
Read: Microsoft? Anyway, bullshit. See GNOME. Remember also the comment that *no* interface past the nipple is intuitive -- it's all learned. Frankly, there's a lot of proprietary software out there whose interface sucks -- I personally can't stand Nero, Roxio's shit, or Windows XP's defaults, especially after all that time on 98 and 2000. Intuitive my ass.
Open Source software tends to lack the complete and accessible documentation that retains users.
Bullshit. See my Dad, or for that matter, most users WHO DON'T FUCKING READ DOCUMENTATION IN THE FIRST PLACE. Try working in tech support for a week. I do, our docs rock, and nobody fucking reads them. Admittedly, some docs do suck, but again, most users don't read them -- just like most users don't read their VCR or stereo manuals.
Developers focus on features in their software, rather than ensuring that they have a solid core.
HAHAHAHHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!!! Excuse me while I puke all over your fucking research. See, for example, Linux, *BSD (not dead!
Open Source programmers also tend to program with themselves as an intended audience, rather than the general public.
Well, yes, you actually are verging on having a point here. Most OSS starts as an exercise in itch-scratching. But usually, OSS is released with a notice like "Hey, try this out, tell me if you find it useful, or if you find bugs." Sure looks to me like these OSS programmers are looking for public input.
there is a widely known stubbornness by Open Source programmers in refusing to learn from what lessons proprietary software has to offer
Could you provide an example? Something more detailed than "you should copy Apple," since that comes right out of the earlier "proprietary software is more intuitive" fallacy, please.
What do I think of the issues raised by the article? Bullshit mostly; red herrings based on fallacies and faulty assumptions. Can we get someone who's prepared to write a rebuttal to TCATB instead, please?
That's "given time, motivation, and discipline".
The average open source coder tends to have a lot of time, but only limited motivation, and not much discipline.
[The missing pieces being, "motivated to put out a commercial quality product", and "enough discipline/knowlege to actually carry it out"
----- ... (KDE, Gnome, ect.) is still not as clean as Windows
Linux in 1998 and over the past six years the UI has improved
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Look, if you want to watch TV, then GO WATCH TV. If you want to use a computer, then USE A COMPUTER.
What do you do with your computer? You read e-mail, you surf the web, maybe you print, maybe you type documents, maybe you use a spreadsheet, maybe you do your taxes or check your stocks (through an http interface). You play games which come with their own user interface. You don't need Windows, KDE, or Gnome for any of this crap.
Quit spilling this "mature OS" crap. Maybe user's should be more mature about what they actually use a box for. Enough with the hand holding and the virtual blowjob. If they want a WP, it's there, regardless of the WM. If they want a spreadsheet, it's there, regardless of the WM. If they want a database, it's there, regardless of the WM.
Are you getting my point? Catching my drift? Or am I being too obtuse?
+++ATHZ 99:5:80
First off, First Monday touts itself as a peer-reviewed journal. I have to say, that this is probably the shittiest article I have ever read in a peer-reviewed journal (related to serious technical material---most soft science journal are essentially worthless). First Monday just got added to my list of journals to not waste my time reading
These same 5 attributes exist in the closed source world. I'm sure many of you have used closed source software with poor UI's, documentation, feature-centric, etc. These problems are present in all software. Perhaps they are more prevalent in open source software, but that argument would have to be well-researched to be convincing, unlike the slop in this article.
Just do a "s/open source/closed source/g" on the article, and it still makes sense. Even the part about religious blindness is applicable to closed source developers!
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The developer responsible for documentation must make sure tasks performed . .
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You are on more CRACK than I have ever seen in my LIFE.
If the user can't figure out how to use the program by reading three pages in "man" then the user is a) using the wrong effing program for the task or b) a blithering idiot. Don't blame the toolbox or the tools because the user is a moron.
That said, *NIX/*BSD still have readily available documentation that is decades ahead of anything that MS or Lotus provides. It's called www.tldp.org. Go ahead, whine because the docs don't make sense. Did you consider the possibility that maybe you're not competent?
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