OSS has value in that businesses can be built that use it. Traditionally software is either a product or a IP that gives you an edge on the competitor. The problem with that model is that you are required to spend vast somes of money to develop and maintain the product.
Opensource allows you to build a product with an active community and you have ensured that a service type business can thrive. Or in some cases start with a partially developed product and make it better.
This model does not support "customer lock in" so continued success of the business will be based on the quality of service. Maybe its just me, but I don't see how that is a bad thing returning to a time where quality matters and customers aren't seen as just numbers?
Theres a difference between your software working on windows and ONLY working on windows. Open Source software is still a good thing in either case but it will always be a better when cross platform support is available.
It's not just better for the end user who wants a choice but also for the project itself. One of the ultimate goals and marks of success of an open source project is for a community to grow and support it. When you code to any specific OS you cut yourself off from potential users whom could might have been a part of that community.
What if the regulators don't agree?
Then there won't be any competition -- there will be a cable-TV monopoly.
Monopoly: Noun. Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service
Notice that the definition of the word doe not define the region in which a monopoly occurs. A monopoly doesn't have to be total control of the industry, it can occur in smaller amounts where customers are limited to a single provider.
In most areas you have only a single choice for cable. There might be other companies in the area but your house/apartment/neighborhood will only be wired for one. A dish doesnt count as an option because i want the reliability of cable. Comcast has exclusive control over cable service in my apartment complex.
No CS curriculum should focus on any software whether it is closed or open sourced. The core is the same for both. The things that need to be taught about OSS software development are general things like licensing, building and sending patches, how to evaluate software. In short, students need to learn how to use and be involved with Open Source and what it is all about: Community.
"The university can just go to another provider if they don't like Google's attitude -- that's why it's different with open source software. With closed source it would be a lock-in."
In fact thats just what Oregon State University did when googles prices were too high. They replaced thier Google box with Nutch Search Engine and saved around $100,000 a year. Fortunatly Google apparently does not have any (or enough) bad blood about this to prevent them from taking the initiative to promote open source.
Re:Cheaper yes, but less skilled?
on
The H-1B Swindle
·
· Score: 1
"Protectionism will not work"
Protectionism is general bad because you are creating an artificial increase in the cost of the end product. It didn't matter when the steel and textile industries went overseas because they were low tech jobs that didnt require 4+ years of college. Sure the jobs take some training, but not so much that you goto "steel mill" school.
At the time our levels of education were increasing, more and more people were going to college to fill high tech jobs. The loss of jobs was being replaced by many more higher paying tech jobs. well what replaces high tech jobs? Where does a large section of workers, who went to school 4+ years for a specific field, go?
Are education system is falling behind that of other countries. The Bush administration has cut funding left and right. The average education level is dropping and the average debt is increasing. Our economy can only spiral downward as we depend more and more on other countries for technological advancement.
Protectionism in this case will only serve to line executives and develop other countries economies. I just hope they send us aid when the US is the biggest third world country.
In the meantime, I'll stick to my books thank you very much.
Better enjoy them while they last. Sooner or later we will be forced into using e-books due to lack of trees to make paper with. Then you will have to deal with advertisements on each page.
I, for one, welcome our new hobbit-sized overlords!
Against enemies 1-2 shorter than myself im not going down without a fight unless they vastly outnumber me. With a good set of shinguards and i'll be just fine.
Perhaps your cable operator occasionally runs a free HBO weekend promo.
And therein lies the problem: My Provider.
To get HBO with comcast I'm required to sign up for digital cable and purchase many other channels i don't want. The added service would double my bill and put it close to $200 a month. Since i'm in an apartment building surrounded by trees i don't have other options for tv content. HBO isn't losing any money from me and many other people because its available on the internet, but because cable providers have set prices too high and only provides package deals. Even if i don't download TV shows ill just wait to get it off netflix before giving in to the price gouging.
"How difficult is it for MS to just add OpenDocument support?"
what you meant to say was "How difficult is it for MS to give up vendor lock-in?"
It must be nice to have perpetual viral customers, its every monopolist's dream come true. Not only are they locked in, they also require thier associates to get locked in too. Theres only 1 person who should be ok with this and that, of course, is the vendor sitting on his pile of cash.
I guess i missed the part where government isn't allowed to evaluate thier business purchases and plan for the future. Sure it will take money and shake things up but long term planning has to consider just that (the long run). Just because in the short-term it will cost money and disturb processes does not make the solution bad.
One thing that government, both state and federal, need to look at is using combined resources to fund OSS development in areas that are lacking. For instance, if open office lacks usability features they can fund developement of that. This is a problem faced by all government entities as well as most private sector companies, the burden should not be falling on one state. A product will still cost X dollars no matter how many people fund it, the difference is how much each has to contribute goes down with larger groups of contributors
Its also a comfort thing. People know that "the magical blue e" will give them the web. They know that windows means they will have things to click on. I recently removed IE completely from my windows machine. When my fiancee went to use it she complained that she couldnt get on the internet despite the firefox logo that was now in the same place the E once was. I explained that she could use firefox but she still went in search of the E every time till she realized it was gone for good.
It was the same thing when I built the spare computer into an ubuntu box. kubuntu? Hoary hedgehog? she just looked at me like i was straight off the funny farm. For the simple things she does (web browsing, aim, word processing, etc) it is not any harder than windows it just looks different.
unfortunatly most people are just unwilling to try something new when they already have a solution that works enough for thier needs.
interestingly enough starwars (a new hope) is ranked #2 at $461. The big difference however is that both average ticket costs and production cost of the movie were significantly lower ($9.5 mil vs $110mil). The percentage of the gross income that is profit is 98% for episode 4 and 29% for episode 3. That is a big difference in ROI especially when inflation is considered.
making $270,000,000 is "good" or "bad" depending on what you compare it to.
1) digital cable weren't so overpriced.
2) more stations provided on demand content.
3) content available on demand is available for longer periods (not just a month)
I think the problem goes deeper than just wanting people to buy dvds and watch shows in syndication. Eventually we will see more of #2 as broadband speeds increase and make it possible because most people would rather pick what AND when they consume content rather than have schedules dictated by television stations. The problem with DVRs is that they prevent stations from being able to charge for "on demand". Its silly to pay an extra X dollars PER month when they can pay a 1-time cost of the DVR.
Now as for DVRs needing to wait for the show to air before being able to deliver you the content, shows that are aired on a weekly basis are only available on demand AFTER thier original showing. "On demand" will only get you access to shows your DVR missed or are being rebroadcast.
So much for artists doing what they do for the sake of creating something amazing. It seems like your only concern is artificially increasing the price of your "art" so you can make a buck. I'm not sure whats more offensive, your whoring of artistry or thinking that your products should be above the laws of supply and demand.
"So if a child steals from a store that they go to without a parent, it should be OK because the minor can't afford to purchase the item?"
No it is not ok.
You've just made the common mistake of replacing "copyright infringement" with "theft". In this case they become quite different. A theft from a store takes a tangible good from the store, something that might be sold to someone else. Downloading a song online does not prevent the sale to someone else.
"What if I were to download "The Simpsons" from last nights free broadcast?"
Just because a show is aired by a station available via an antenna does not make it free. The copyright is still held by the creator of the content and you "pay" for it by watching commercials and in most cases via a monthly bill to your cable provider.
It depends on your proximity to the distribution center and post office. The closest distributor is about 1 hour driving time and the closest post box isn't picked up till 4:30pm.
If all I do is copy them (takes just over an hour for 3 movies with an 8x burner + dvd shrink) and send them back the following day I can get 6 movies per week, delivered on wed and sat. (1 day to deliver, 1 day in postbox, 1 day return trip).
However, if i were to take the movies to the post office in the morning (an extra 10 mins on the way to work) i would shave a whole day off each delivery because the movie isnt sitting in the postbox all day. This increases the total to 9 movies a week.
now by your math that makes my current scheme: $0.69 per movie
but possible to get it down to $0.46 not considering extra gas costs.
People talk about lower standards of living in other countries, forgetting that this is partly made up for by the fact that it's a lot CHEAPER to live overseas than in the United states. So while poverty in 3rd world countries is rampant, if you pay someone a halfway decent wage, the money goes a long way there.
People can be greedy though. That the money goes a long way is irrelevant since there is always more stuff to buy even when you are a millionaire.
Don't limit it to just 1 government application. There are numerous applications that all levels of government need. Opensource is the perfect fit for government entities because they arent there to make money, they are there to serve the people in the most efficient manner possible.
I switch my transponder between my car and motorcycle and one day i forgot to put it in my car. I drove through the fastlane not realizing this. I received a warning in the mail a few weeks later including the picture of my license plate. It was only a warning because they checked thier records and saw i had the fastlane tag registered to my car. The letter stated that if it occured again i would be charged the same fine people without fastlane tags receive, regardless of the fact that i do have one. This happened a little less than a year ago.
You misinterpreted. I'm talking about the ability to create a comparable product in Java or another language. The rails concept can be ported to any other language and give you the ability to write mappings just as easily.
Code generators are nothing new and definatly do not make Ruby or Rails stand out.
Slashdot Mirror
Time to upgrade to a lead hat...
OSS has value in that businesses can be built that use it. Traditionally software is either a product or a IP that gives you an edge on the competitor. The problem with that model is that you are required to spend vast somes of money to develop and maintain the product.
Opensource allows you to build a product with an active community and you have ensured that a service type business can thrive. Or in some cases start with a partially developed product and make it better.
This model does not support "customer lock in" so continued success of the business will be based on the quality of service. Maybe its just me, but I don't see how that is a bad thing returning to a time where quality matters and customers aren't seen as just numbers?
It's not just better for the end user who wants a choice but also for the project itself. One of the ultimate goals and marks of success of an open source project is for a community to grow and support it. When you code to any specific OS you cut yourself off from potential users whom could might have been a part of that community.
Monopoly: Noun. Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service
Notice that the definition of the word doe not define the region in which a monopoly occurs. A monopoly doesn't have to be total control of the industry, it can occur in smaller amounts where customers are limited to a single provider.
In most areas you have only a single choice for cable. There might be other companies in the area but your house/apartment/neighborhood will only be wired for one. A dish doesnt count as an option because i want the reliability of cable. Comcast has exclusive control over cable service in my apartment complex.
Yes it is possible to beat it, i did so several times. You just need to jab the bow into jaws at just the right time.
up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a, [select,] start
No CS curriculum should focus on any software whether it is closed or open sourced. The core is the same for both. The things that need to be taught about OSS software development are general things like licensing, building and sending patches, how to evaluate software. In short, students need to learn how to use and be involved with Open Source and what it is all about: Community.
In fact thats just what Oregon State University did when googles prices were too high. They replaced thier Google box with Nutch Search Engine and saved around $100,000 a year. Fortunatly Google apparently does not have any (or enough) bad blood about this to prevent them from taking the initiative to promote open source.
Protectionism is general bad because you are creating an artificial increase in the cost of the end product. It didn't matter when the steel and textile industries went overseas because they were low tech jobs that didnt require 4+ years of college. Sure the jobs take some training, but not so much that you goto "steel mill" school.
At the time our levels of education were increasing, more and more people were going to college to fill high tech jobs. The loss of jobs was being replaced by many more higher paying tech jobs. well what replaces high tech jobs? Where does a large section of workers, who went to school 4+ years for a specific field, go?Are education system is falling behind that of other countries. The Bush administration has cut funding left and right. The average education level is dropping and the average debt is increasing. Our economy can only spiral downward as we depend more and more on other countries for technological advancement.
Protectionism in this case will only serve to line executives and develop other countries economies. I just hope they send us aid when the US is the biggest third world country.
Better enjoy them while they last. Sooner or later we will be forced into using e-books due to lack of trees to make paper with. Then you will have to deal with advertisements on each page.
Against enemies 1-2 shorter than myself im not going down without a fight unless they vastly outnumber me. With a good set of shinguards and i'll be just fine.
And therein lies the problem: My Provider.
To get HBO with comcast I'm required to sign up for digital cable and purchase many other channels i don't want. The added service would double my bill and put it close to $200 a month. Since i'm in an apartment building surrounded by trees i don't have other options for tv content. HBO isn't losing any money from me and many other people because its available on the internet, but because cable providers have set prices too high and only provides package deals. Even if i don't download TV shows ill just wait to get it off netflix before giving in to the price gouging.
what you meant to say was "How difficult is it for MS to give up vendor lock-in?"
It must be nice to have perpetual viral customers, its every monopolist's dream come true. Not only are they locked in, they also require thier associates to get locked in too. Theres only 1 person who should be ok with this and that, of course, is the vendor sitting on his pile of cash.
I guess i missed the part where government isn't allowed to evaluate thier business purchases and plan for the future. Sure it will take money and shake things up but long term planning has to consider just that (the long run). Just because in the short-term it will cost money and disturb processes does not make the solution bad.
One thing that government, both state and federal, need to look at is using combined resources to fund OSS development in areas that are lacking. For instance, if open office lacks usability features they can fund developement of that. This is a problem faced by all government entities as well as most private sector companies, the burden should not be falling on one state. A product will still cost X dollars no matter how many people fund it, the difference is how much each has to contribute goes down with larger groups of contributors
"That's if you're lucky, normally they'd throw a chair at you." you need the premium support package for that and I only got the basic. =(
It was the same thing when I built the spare computer into an ubuntu box. kubuntu? Hoary hedgehog? she just looked at me like i was straight off the funny farm. For the simple things she does (web browsing, aim, word processing, etc) it is not any harder than windows it just looks different.
unfortunatly most people are just unwilling to try something new when they already have a solution that works enough for thier needs.
making $270,000,000 is "good" or "bad" depending on what you compare it to.
compared to my salary, its *definatly* good!
1) digital cable weren't so overpriced.
2) more stations provided on demand content. 3) content available on demand is available for longer periods (not just a month)
I think the problem goes deeper than just wanting people to buy dvds and watch shows in syndication. Eventually we will see more of #2 as broadband speeds increase and make it possible because most people would rather pick what AND when they consume content rather than have schedules dictated by television stations. The problem with DVRs is that they prevent stations from being able to charge for "on demand". Its silly to pay an extra X dollars PER month when they can pay a 1-time cost of the DVR.
Now as for DVRs needing to wait for the show to air before being able to deliver you the content, shows that are aired on a weekly basis are only available on demand AFTER thier original showing. "On demand" will only get you access to shows your DVR missed or are being rebroadcast.
So much for artists doing what they do for the sake of creating something amazing. It seems like your only concern is artificially increasing the price of your "art" so you can make a buck. I'm not sure whats more offensive, your whoring of artistry or thinking that your products should be above the laws of supply and demand.
No it is not ok.
You've just made the common mistake of replacing "copyright infringement" with "theft". In this case they become quite different. A theft from a store takes a tangible good from the store, something that might be sold to someone else. Downloading a song online does not prevent the sale to someone else.
Just because a show is aired by a station available via an antenna does not make it free. The copyright is still held by the creator of the content and you "pay" for it by watching commercials and in most cases via a monthly bill to your cable provider.
If all I do is copy them (takes just over an hour for 3 movies with an 8x burner + dvd shrink) and send them back the following day I can get 6 movies per week, delivered on wed and sat. (1 day to deliver, 1 day in postbox, 1 day return trip).
However, if i were to take the movies to the post office in the morning (an extra 10 mins on the way to work) i would shave a whole day off each delivery because the movie isnt sitting in the postbox all day. This increases the total to 9 movies a week.
now by your math that makes my current scheme: $0.69 per movie
but possible to get it down to $0.46 not considering extra gas costs.
People talk about lower standards of living in other countries, forgetting that this is partly made up for by the fact that it's a lot CHEAPER to live overseas than in the United states. So while poverty in 3rd world countries is rampant, if you pay someone a halfway decent wage, the money goes a long way there.
People can be greedy though. That the money goes a long way is irrelevant since there is always more stuff to buy even when you are a millionaire.
Don't limit it to just 1 government application. There are numerous applications that all levels of government need. Opensource is the perfect fit for government entities because they arent there to make money, they are there to serve the people in the most efficient manner possible.
I switch my transponder between my car and motorcycle and one day i forgot to put it in my car. I drove through the fastlane not realizing this. I received a warning in the mail a few weeks later including the picture of my license plate. It was only a warning because they checked thier records and saw i had the fastlane tag registered to my car. The letter stated that if it occured again i would be charged the same fine people without fastlane tags receive, regardless of the fact that i do have one. This happened a little less than a year ago.
You misinterpreted. I'm talking about the ability to create a comparable product in Java or another language. The rails concept can be ported to any other language and give you the ability to write mappings just as easily.
Code generators are nothing new and definatly do not make Ruby or Rails stand out.