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Should Obama Give Stimulus To Open Source?

snydeq writes "InfoWorld's Bill Snyder posits a deeper relationship between government and open source than was proposed in last week's open letter to Obama calling for broader open source adoption: economic stimulus. Since software vendors urged the president to go open source last week, security companies 'have raised scary points about vulnerabilities in open source,' suggesting they could step in to help secure an open source switch. Rather than opt for this kind of security through obscurity, Snyder argues in favor of earmarking funds for open source development to instead ensure security through transparency. 'Once the government expands its use and support of open source, venture money — which is drying up in the current recession — would again start flowing to those small companies, allowing them to hire or rehire some of the tens of thousands of unemployed IT workers,' he argues."

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  1. you people sure are terrified of socialism. by falconwolf · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Boy, some people are terrified of the free market and capitalism. What I am terrified of is government. Almost every mass atrocity and human rights violations was done by government not capitalism.

    I get the feeling there are a lot of people who would rather see any unemployed person starve than give them a penny of government money.

    That's right. I'd rather the bum who does nothing to improve their lot in get no taxpayer money. Instead I'll rather use my money to help those who try to help themselves.

    Think of it this way: would you rather be forced to pay some guy to make widgets you don't want and only he will profit from, or pay someone to pick up garbage in the park?

    No, no, no, think of it this way: would you rather be forced to pay for some bum who will not work, or someone who tries to work? Would you rather pay for someone's medical bills who eats at McDonald's all the tyme, or donate money to someone who through no fault of their own is injured?

    "At least the latter contributes to the public good."

    Falcon