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Lessons Proprietary Software Can Teach Open Source

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the learning-from-each-other-while-we-do-our-thing dept.

cdlu writes "Kris Shaffer at Newsforge argues that just because software is open source doesn't mean it should be unpopular. What lessons, he asks, can open source projects learn from popular proprietary software?" From the article: "In the absence of a monopoly, there are three traits that are likely to make an application popular: it is cool or attractive in some way, it provides easy entry, and it is addictive. Barring these things, most average users will stick with the status quo. In fact, many users never use a program on their computer that did not come pre-installed. However, by creating an attractive, easy to set up, addictive application, a developer can motivate the average user to break this barrier and try something new. And several such applications can generate strong popular interest in the open source movement in general."

16 of 359 comments (clear)

  1. Drug Analogy? by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny
    there are three traits that are likely to make an application popular: it is cool or attractive in some way, it provides easy entry, and it is addictive.

    Ah. It makes sense now...

    • MS Office Opium
    • MS Office Morphine, to help you break your addiction to MS Office Opium
    • MS Office Heroin, to help you break your addiction to MS Office Morphine
    Clearly businesses do have alternatives, we just didn't know the code names.

    next up: MS Office Crack, soon to be followed by Out-Of-Money and switching to Open Office to break the cycle.

    Sounds more like video games, as they can be very addictive, but I don't ever recall lying awake at night, with the shakes, because it's been 36 hours since my last hit of Excel.

    Easy entry, I'd assume means easy to access the application and use it, getting desired results with a minimum of fuss. I can't say this is exclusive to proprietary software, because some highly successful packages have very steep learning curves and can vary from version to version in ways which can be maddening. (I recently replaced a several step process for producing lists with a one-button application and the end-user was alarmed because the page count didn't match what they expected. Well, I added an extra item per page because I had space, guess I should have explained that one, eh? But it completely bypassed the need for Office Tools, which were a large source of frustration in a frequently run process.)

    Reliability seems to be overrated, however, as I've seen any number of vendor packages blow up, and an IT manager simply say, "well let me know when you get it fixed" Even when it's a desktop app that several users may be using (and man, will they whine when they lose even a minutes work!)

    Perhaps what proprietary software is best at is concealing easter eggs.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Drug Analogy? by ch-chuck · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe a good code name for Open Office would be "Methodrone".

      --
      try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
    2. Re:Drug Analogy? by pixelite · · Score: 2, Funny

      Man, I've been addicted to gaming since ms pacman, man. When I first got my hands on my 2600 I played it for 72 hours straight. It eventually was retired when smoke was emmitted from the system. I've been getting my much needed fix every since. I have upgraded to new drugs over the years as the my mind grew a tolorence for the old ones. I went through the NES, SNES, and N64 easily. When I got a hold of a Playstation, all bets were off. It wasn't until I got a hold of this new derivitive drug called PC gaming that it completely destroyed my life.

      I have since been through rehab several times until i finally kicked the habit. I have been sober almost 6 months now and I could not be happier. I wish I had cleaned up sooner, I lost my wife and my daughter to the habbit.

      --
      >>Sig under construction
    3. Re:Drug Analogy? by TheViewFromTheGround · · Score: 4, Funny
      Sounds more like video games, as they can be very addictive, but I don't ever recall lying awake at night, with the shakes, because it's been 36 hours since my last hit of Excel.

      On the other hand, only software companies and drug dealers call their customers and clients users.

      --
      Online citizen journalism from the inner city: The View From The Ground
  2. Too Funny by airrage · · Score: 4, Funny

    "..attractive in some way, it provides easy entry, and it is addictive."

    Interesting turn of a phrase ...

    --
    "This isn't a study in computer science, its a study in human behavior"
    1. Re:Too Funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Isn't that the proverbial female?

      I have it on pretty good authority that females do actually exist.

    2. Re:Too Funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      Nope, just your mama

  3. Wow! by Otter · · Score: 3, Funny
    In the absence of a monopoly, there are three traits that are likely to make an application popular: it is cool or attractive in some way, it provides easy entry, and it is addictive.

    Gee, with insight like that it's hard to imagine how the LNUX stock price could be down 99.8% from its peak!

    --
    What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
  4. Re:Marketing and Religion. by foreverdisillusioned · · Score: 2, Funny

    Open source or closed source--my guess is that as long as it has a spellchecker, you'll be happy.

  5. Yes! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Does ls need flashing text and play a differnt tune depending on what folder your in?

    Oh, my God, YES! I never realized before you mentioned it, but that would just RULE! I'm glad you asked.

    Make it so my home directory plays "Burnin' Down the House," and my document directory plays, "Bang the Drum All Day." Could you make it so it would play randomly from a set of songs for certain directories? I'd like my porn directory to play one of: "Devil With the Green Eyes," "Foxy Lady, "Lay Lady Lay," or "Night and Day" (the Frank Sinatra version), or anything from the classic '70s porn movies, with that funky whucka-whuck, whucka-whuck guitar riff.

    Thanks.

  6. My parents use non-OEM software by cybersaga · · Score: 2, Funny

    From the article: In fact, many users never use a program on their computer that did not come pre-installed.

    My parents use GAIN software all the time.

    --
    Web Design Tips
  7. What he means is... by marcus · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...An office suite that is as easy to use as this:

    http://www.shockhaber.com/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.htm

    and as addictive as this is:

    http://www.hurtwood.demon.co.uk/Fun/copter.swf

    --
    Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.
    - W. Wriston, former Citibank CEO
  8. Re:Boot from CD Porn distro by doublem · · Score: 3, Funny

    And suddenly, a Porn idea spawns defense and espionage related applications.

    --
    "Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
  9. Re:Get the job done. by sootman · · Score: 2, Funny

    "All the rest is just FUDD that programmers worry about."

    Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt, and... what... more Doubt? :-)

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  10. Re:Boot from CD Porn distro by sootman · · Score: 3, Funny

    "No traces left behind on the hard drive..."

    The keyboard, however, is another matter entirely. :-)

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    Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
  11. Re:Marketing and Religion. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    My g/f ... or get by with "Trust me."

    My g/f tried to get by with "Trust me", but I still use a condom. ;-p