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Open Source's Battle In Africa
eldavojohn writes "The BBC has more details about something we last discussed in 2008 — the showdown of open source versus proprietary software in Africa. When discussing the issue of cost, the piece quotes Microsoft's chairman on the scene, Dr. Cheikh Modibo Diarra, who alludes that open source continually costs you money by saying 'You buy Microsoft software, and you buy it once and for all, the cost that we tell you is the total cost for ownership.' On the other end of the story is Ken Banks from Kiwanja.net who has spent 15 years developing open source applications in Africa. His logic is that 'Today we're seeing growing open-source programmer, developer communities in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and other African countries. Clearly, if you have this informal programming sector coming up, access to source code is almost critical if they are going to be able to take advantage of these new tools that are emerging.' Well, the battle rages on, hopefully the emerging African developers and users pick the tool(s) that suit their needs the best."
Trying to promote Linux in places like Africa that are still working on their IT industries could be perceived as paternalistic. The sad, sad fact is that the majority of the western world uses MS Windows, and that if you try and say that despite this, African users should embrace Linux - it can come across as if you are fobbing them off with something second rate. You aren't, of course, but that isn't how the Microsoft Ministry of Truth is going to spin it.
The best way to promote Linux in developing markets is to promote it in developed markets. Countries that want to build their IT industry will, logically, look to how its done in countries with successful IT industries. Any increase in the Linux user base in the United States or Europe will be mirrored by an increase in much of the rest of the world.
If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we shoot people for Apollo-related non-sequiturs?
You don't buy the software, you license it until the next version of Windows comes out and your software becomes incompatible with that, and your computer has virtually no resale value as the software has to be totally wiped else you risk a visit from the BSA. And according to Gartner the TCO for a company to support Windows was $9,784 per anum per computer (1997). You think it's come down in the mean while :)
davecb5620@gmail.com
That only the government and the largest enterprises are buying software, all the rest is pirated.
So "Free/Open Source" software is at exactly the same price as "Closed Source" software.
And there is a sick fascination with "the rich people" although they became rich by ripping you off.
And the main supperiority of "Closed Source software" is that it gives more opportunity for "back door handlings"...
And of course the "donor organisations" are much better at recommending "nice donor nation originated products" than local "service"...
And thus the blood of africa is still flowing out to the occidental world...
Can we please let this old BS die, please? I'm gonna get flamed for this, but who cares. The GP is an admin and dealing with business clients and therefor most likely has a brain. You know why folks become spambots, so do I, and so does he. It is because they run IE as full admin and click on every damned thing on the Internet. If you put those morons on Linux or Mac there would be "Hot_Lesbos.SH" and "Horny_Tenn.DMG" flooding the net within days. Stupid is as stupid does. I have plenty of business clients running as admin at work and home. Not a single bug. Why? Because they don't go to pron sites, they don't go to warez sits, they don't use IE and they don't click on every damned thing on the Internet, that's why.
If you are dealing with Forest Gump users you put them as regular users. Boom, problem solved. And I don't have to deal with the support nightmare that is the fact that pretty much every printer in Walmart don't work in Linux. Geeks like to do research, customers shop at Walmart or Staples or Best Buy based on price. Expecting them to do research just to buy a printer is stupid. So while each OS has its place (Linux makes a damned good low maintenance server, a properly admined Windows makes a better desktop) trying to spread the "all Windows machines are part of botnets" FUD is just as lame as MSFT with it's "get the facts" campaign.
The quicker the Linux community admits there are some things that Windows is better at, the sooner they can make up the deficit and give users real choice. But the "spambot" FUD simply won't work as the users most likely to be spambots are also the ones most likely to have hardware that won't work in Linux. Frankly they'd be better off as a regular user in XP where their hardware would actually work. That is why Mac gained share during the Vista suckfest and Linux stayed non existent. Because for the average user it was cheaper to buy a Mac than deal with all the research and BS to get Linux going in their homes. Sorry.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
And you're assuming that knowledge and ability are somehow static.
I find this particular line of logic particularly irksome. That's mostly because nearly every single thing I've learned about computers, I've learned under my own steam. There's no mystical Linux Club where knowledge of systems and how they work are magically and instantly conferred on members.
There is, however, a school of thought that encourages lifting oneself up by one's bootstraps, and which (handsomely) rewards curiousity and initiative.
And lest I be accused of arrogance toward those who haven't had the same education and opportunities as I've had, I should mention that I'm putting my money where my mouth is: I work full-time in the developing world, and over the last 5 years or so have watched Linux begin to flourish on desktops and servers in the country where I've taken up residence.
The hardest part of building acceptance for FOSS generally and Linux in particular has been getting people to move away from the perspective that working in IT consists of nothing more than learning a series of incantations to be performed when your Windows machine inevitably goes FUBAR.
It's taken time, and the work isn't nearly done yet, but I'm gratified by the knowledge that, of the young IT apprentices I've taken on over the years, nearly every single one of them holds a responsible professional position managing high-end equipment, a significant part of which is running (or running on) FOSS software. Not one of them had any formal computer training before I happened along. For most of them, their employment opportunities were effectively nil.
Based on my personal and professional experience, therefore, I have to conclude that your argument is specious, misleading and counter-productive.
Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.