I'm outraged by Metcalfe's article. Open source software isn't communism -- it's analogous to the dissemination of knowledge in academia. A scholar freely makes knowledge available to students and other scholars, without expectation of gain. Scholars do so because they take genuine pleasure in the advancement of knowledge in a non-commercial environment, which enables all humans to benefit.
Computer software is too important to humanity's future to remain the exclusive possession of for-profit software firms. Can you imagine what the world would be like if science had been cornered by a for-profit firm? Would you have to pay licensing fees to find out how to cure a disease?
What utter, stupid, ignorant bunk. I had a lot of respect for Metcalfe before he wrote this article. It's over, baby.
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I'm outraged by Metcalfe's article. Open source software isn't communism -- it's analogous to the dissemination of knowledge in academia. A scholar freely makes knowledge available to students and other scholars, without expectation of gain. Scholars do so because they take genuine pleasure in the advancement of knowledge in a non-commercial environment, which enables all humans to benefit.
Computer software is too important to humanity's future to remain the exclusive possession of for-profit software firms. Can you imagine what the world would be like if science had been cornered by a for-profit firm? Would you have to pay licensing fees to find out how to cure a disease?
What utter, stupid, ignorant bunk. I had a lot of respect for Metcalfe before he wrote this article. It's over, baby.