New Free O'Reilly Ebook: 'Open Source In Brazil' (oreilly.com)

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New Free O'Reilly Ebook: 'Open Source In Brazil' (oreilly.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday February 19, 2017 @05:34AM from the software-in-South-America dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Andy Oram, who's been an editor at O'Reilly since 1992, has written a new free report about how open source software is everywhere in Brazil. The country's IT industry is booming in Brazil -- still Latin America's most vibrant economy -- with open source software popular in both startups and in cloud infrastructure. Oram attributes this partly to the government's support of open source software, which over the last 15 years has built public awareness about its power and potential. And says the Brazil now has a thriving open source community, and several free software movements. Even small towns have hacker spaces for collaboration and training, and the country has several free software movements.

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Laguage by ISoldat53 · 2017-02-19 05:52 · Score: 1

Do program languages in non-English speaking countries use English? Only living in the US I don't have any experience programming in another country. Is there a language that would be more efficient other than English?
1. Re:Laguage by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 06:05 · Score: 0
  
  The real programming languages (C, Java, ....) stay the same. Naming of program elements is the thing that may vary. From what I see here in Finland, software with longer history tends to contain more elements named based on Finnish language, whereas the more modern code bases are predominantly English. This unfortunately often results in old but still actively maintained code bases being partly based on Finnish, partly on English words, which is a pain.
  In the early days (30-40 years ago) there were attempts to even translate the language keywords with macro layers and other similar tricks, but these never worked very well, not with Finnish language at least, where the forms of the words change depending on their exact role in the sentence and so on - so the resulting Finnish programming language translation was extremely ugly in pretty much all cases.
2. Re:Laguage by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 06:08 · Score: 1
  
  Sí
3. Re:Laguage by ShanghaiBill · 2017-02-19 06:34 · Score: 1
  
  Do program languages in non-English speaking countries use English?
  The keywords (if, else, for, while) are in English. The comments and variable names are often in the local language (Portuguese in this case), but most multi-national teams standardize on English.
4. Re:Laguage by Anonymice · 2017-02-19 06:45 · Score: 2
  
  I'm British, living & working in Brazil.
  The programming language's syntax never changes, however user defined objects & classes will often be in the regional language. That said, it's not uncommon to find English used where there's a well known standardised name for a function.
  For technology in general, even when translations happen to exist, English language documentation & community support tends to be of a far higher quality & up-to-date. The result is that some terms are translated into the local language, and others not. This creates a bit of a minefield when trying to guess whether to use the English terminology or translated terminology when communicating with colleagues, there isn't always a standard of which to use & it can differ from person to person.
5. Re:Laguage by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 07:54 · Score: 0
  
  There is no practical programming languages in Portuguese (language spoken in Brazil). Since the english used in programming languages is fairly basic it's not dificult to get used to it. However reading documentation not surprisingly is lot of struggle, in this case the solution is to study English that is how many of us developers end up learning it.
6. Re:Laguage by bauerbob · 2017-02-19 11:05 · Score: 1
  
  Excel does translate the keywords. So in Germany we have to write =WENN(...) instead of =IF(...). But real programming languages don't translate keywords.
7. Re:Laguage by Wootery · 2017-02-20 21:27 · Score: 1
  
  most multi-national teams standardize on Englis
  See also the blog post advocating exactly this, "The Ugly American Programmer".
I think we're passed the stage by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 05:55 · Score: 0

Of open source evangelism, just like evangelism for the personal computer became unnecessary within a couple years of the release of MS Windows 3.0. Even CEOs (who previously said "I don't even know how to log in, I have people working for me who do that") and grandmothers got on board at that point.
Even Microsoft is busy trying to figure out how to use open source software as a strategy to attract developers and customers.
1. Re:I think we're passed the stage by haruchai · 2017-02-19 06:04 · Score: 1
  
  Of open source evangelism, just like evangelism for the personal computer became unnecessary within a couple years of the release of MS Windows 3.0. Even CEOs (who previously said "I don't even know how to log in, I have people working for me who do that") and grandmothers got on board at that point.
  Even Microsoft is busy trying to figure out how to use open source software as a strategy to attract developers and customers.
  It still has to be promoted & nurtured and protected from being co-opted. Fail to do any of those and it won't be long before it's back to being a niche.
  Perhaps when an opensource desktop OS reaches macOS usage levels in the advanced Western economies we can relax a bit.
  
  --
  Pain is merely failure leaving the body
2. Re: I think we're passed the stage by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 08:19 · Score: 0
  
  You mean, like Android? People don't give a f... about desktop OSes anymore, they would just use whatever to connect to their favorite web application... I personally don't like it that way, but most people don't care.
The cloud by phantomfive · 2017-02-19 06:02 · Score: 1

How do they deal with the fact that so much software these days is on the 'cloud?'

--
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
1. Re:The cloud by bheerssen · 2017-02-19 06:06 · Score: 1
  
  "The cloud" is just code for "other people's servers". You can use open source to create your own cloud system, and there are many open source technologies to do that.
  
  --
  (Score: -1, Stupid)
2. Re:The cloud by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 06:25 · Score: 0
  
  That's like saying "the grid" just means "other people's electric generators". Nobody wants to create and maintain their own cloud, except for the usual tinkerers. The (non-vendor) companies that thought they did are changing their minds.
3. Re:The cloud by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 08:05 · Score: 0
  
  There are always people who know English and translate the meaningful articles to the local language. In long term it's not a big issue.
4. Re:The cloud by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-20 14:33 · Score: 0
  
  We (Brazilians, not me) develop opensource solutions for the cloud, and sell the development/support/server infrastructure for the government. In the decent states (Rio Grande do Sul) some contracts say that the software being paid to be developed has to be open source so that the government can switch contractors. The book probably talks about this kind of thing too.
5. Re:The cloud by phantomfive · 2017-02-20 14:51 · Score: 1
  
  In the decent states (Rio Grande do Sul) some contracts say that the software being paid to be developed has to be open source so that the government can switch contractors
  This should be done more often, all around the world.
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
Re:Gay Pride by bheerssen · 2017-02-19 06:03 · Score: 1, Flamebait

Go fuck yourself.

--
(Score: -1, Stupid)
Re:Gay Pride by BeauSD · 2017-02-19 06:14 · Score: 0

I am gay but still agree with GP post. Everyone is entitled to opinion!

Introlerant bigot.
Not really "free". by Futurepower(R) · 2017-02-19 06:17 · Score: 0

The O'Reilly Media book is not really "free". You must give your email address without any explanation about how it will be used.
1. Re:Not really "free". by johanw · 2017-02-19 06:29 · Score: 1
  
  You can use a throwaway email address for that.
2. Re:Not really "free". by fredan · 2017-02-19 06:39 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Here's the link: http://www.oreilly.com/programming/free/files/open-source-in-brazil.pdf or http://www.oreilly.com/programming/free/files/open-source-in-brazil.mobi or http://www.oreilly.com/programming/free/files/open-source-in-brazil.epub
  
  Source: https://gist.github.com/dotevo/66a3320598ac38a64072ec56f9633e8e
3. Re:Not really "free". by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 06:49 · Score: 0
  
  Thanks. Problem solved.
  Maybe this is just me, but that seems like a brochure formatted to resemble a book. Mr. Oram gets a Library of Congress # for that?
4. Re:Not really "free". by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-20 01:41 · Score: 0
  
  Apparently, you missed the whole privacy policy right below the request? Similar policy that ORA has had for a couple of decades now.
As long as it lasts by johanw · 2017-02-19 06:29 · Score: 0

As soon as the Trump situation has been dealt with and a proper president who serves his company masters as he should do is installed this situation will be dealt with. Like supporting politicians who wants to replace all this by MS software and removing open source proponents from office.
1. Re:As long as it lasts by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 06:36 · Score: 0
  
  a proper president who serves his company masters
  Trump is the corporate masters.
2. Re:As long as it lasts by Wootery · 2017-03-01 21:51 · Score: 1
  
  Depends on how much debt he has, and to whom.
Re:Gay Pride by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 06:35 · Score: 0

I'd rather fuck myself than fuck a dude.
So what? by hackwrench · 2017-02-19 07:19 · Score: 1

That's neither here nor there.
1. Re:So what? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 07:24 · Score: 0
  
  It's virtually here or there.
2. Re:So what? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-20 02:10 · Score: 0
  
  It is the entireity of the here and there.
Re:Gay Pride by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 07:23 · Score: 0

In Brasil you can do both!
Re:Library of Congress number by hackwrench · 2017-02-19 07:27 · Score: 1

As far as I understand, pretty much anyone who wants a Library of Congress number can get one.
Proper president by hackwrench · 2017-02-19 07:28 · Score: 1

There's no such thing as a proper president. Oh wait, I didn't read the whole thing. My bad.
Brazilian coders by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 07:52 · Score: 0

... nearly as bad as Indiots.
Unfortunatelly this is ending by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 08:02 · Score: 0

Brazil suffered a coup in 2016 and the new government is destroying the open source ecossystem and handing everything back to M$.. So sad.
1. Re:Unfortunatelly this is ending by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 09:23 · Score: 0
  
  That is debatable. Crimes were committed from many sides. It was not a coup, but the current government is just as dirty.
  As for handing everything for MS, I worked for the previous government (and decided to quit when I realized it was corrupt and ineficient) - the push for opensource was just a stunt to presure MS for lower prices.
Re: Gay Pride by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 08:11 · Score: 0

User reported to Slashdot.
Re: Gay Pride by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 08:57 · Score: 0

What happens when a user is reported?
Re:Gay Pride by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 08:58 · Score: 0

The Bible condemns homosexuality. It is NOT our job to [yadda yadda cut-n'-paste...]
Go fuck yourself.
I'm curious to know if fucking oneself counts as homosexuality in the eyes of the Bible? ;-)
MS to the "rescue" again by markdavis · 2017-02-19 10:21 · Score: 2

Looks like Microsoft is up to their old tricks and maybe O'Reilly didn't publish fast enough:
https://fossbytes.com/brazil-r...
http://www.zdnet.com/article/b...
They have to work really hard to step in and mess things up for countries trying to break free (or for those who DID break free) from proprietary MS products. Brazil has a lot of corruption, so this seems to fit right in :(
1. Re:MS to the "rescue" again by iris-n · 2017-02-20 06:13 · Score: 1
  
  Nope, this is not due to Microsoft; it is true that they were always pressuring to get the government back on proprietary software. But what changed is that last year there was a coup in Brazil and a legendarily corrupt government took power. They happily accepted Microsoft's bribes and the result is what you see.
  
  --
  entropy happens
Re: Gay Pride by Raenex · 2017-02-19 11:39 · Score: 1

Baby Jesus cries.
Vibrant economy? by TheSync · 2017-02-19 16:32 · Score: 1

Regarding "The country's IT industry is booming in Brazil -- still Latin America's most vibrant economy", I think one can make a better case for Chile.
Brazil's 5-year compound annual growth is 1%, and last year GDP growth was -3.8%. Brazil GDP per capita is $15,615, most recent unemployment was 12%, and inflation is 9%.
Chile's 5-year CAGR is 3.9%, and last year GDP growth was 2.1%. Chile GDP per capita is $23,460, with unemployment 6.8%, and inflation 4.3%.
IT outsourcing is more mature in Brazil than Chile, and Brazil's overall GDP is six times larger than Chile's, yes. But is Brazil's economy really "vibrant"?
1. Re:Vibrant economy? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-20 02:13 · Score: 0
  
  The anal sex scene is vibrant in Brazil. Multicolored lubes makes the santorum shine like the rainbow!
2. Re:Vibrant economy? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-20 05:43 · Score: 0
  
  You understand that Brazil is in the top 10 economies right? Chile? Don't make me laugh.
3. Re:Vibrant economy? by gwolf · 2017-02-20 05:48 · Score: 1
  
  It is in the long term. This last year, Brazil had a civil coup. The president, in line with over twelve years of impressive economic growth (compare it to Brazil's many neighbouring countries), was outsted and power was given to the vice-president - Who was a bad choice to partner with, coming from the rival party. He immediatly took it to derail the economic path of Lula / Dilma.
  I am Mexican. My wife is Argentinian. We often travel via Brazil, and have many Brazilian friends. And, yes, the economic growth of Brazil over a decade is quite impressive.
4. Re:Vibrant economy? by gwolf · 2017-02-20 05:53 · Score: 1
  
  Well, yes - But Brazil has close to 200 million inhabitants. Chile has only a tenth of the population. Territory-wise, same story: Over 8 million square kilometers (about the same as the contiguous USA). A country might be vibrant even if it starts from very little!
5. Re:Vibrant economy? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-20 14:48 · Score: 0
  
  But it didn't start last year (2016). After Dilma complained about Obama's mass spying over Brazilians in 2013 things turned bad.
  Big leaking from the judiciary against the Worker's Party (even though they are not the most implicated in the investigations). Corrupt congressmen being scared into joining the coup and a huge media work leading to the coup.
  The right dates to view Brazilian progress are from 2002 to 2013, before the US appointed Liliana Ayalde, the coup organizer, as our US Ambassador.
  She came in September 2013 and left in January 2017 with her work done. Before that she organized the coup in Paraguay.
6. Re:Vibrant economy? by TheSync · 2017-02-20 19:50 · Score: 1
  
  You understand that Brazil is in the top 10 economies right?
  Italyâ(TM)s $1.8 trillion economy is the worldâ(TM)s eighth largest in terms of nominal GDP (and larger than Brazil's). But I wouldn't call it "vibrant"...
Re: Gay Pride by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 16:36 · Score: 0

> What happens when a user is reported?
slashdotUserCount++;
Re:Gay Pride by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-19 20:18 · Score: 0

why dont u read it and find out smart guy
No wonder it is free by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-20 03:13 · Score: 0

Quite frankly, saying that it fills out a small niche exaggerates its relevance.
Taxes Probably had Something to Do With It by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-20 06:07 · Score: 0

One interesting angle that I haven't seen discussed so far is the effect of extraordinarily high taxes on imported goods, including software in Brazil. Incidentally, this is why almost nobody in Brazil buys "official" copies of boxed software, computer games or movies. The prices are absolutely insane, even by American standards, and the average Brazilian is much poorer than the average American. For example, to purchase a PS4 "officially" in Brazil costs $1,800 US dollars and "official" games cost hundreds of dollars apiece, if you can even find them for sale. Instead, most of what is sold in Brazil is actually pirated. Now with open source software the price is generally $0 and no matter how high your taxes a percentage of zero is still nothing. This creates an artificial incentive to prefer open source to commercial software which is going to be either pirated or too expensive.