Strategically speaking, this is not true. A readily available example is the way that Microsoft has co-opted javascript (j-script) and other technologies, subsequently morphing them into their own creation.
Look at it this way: there are three stories currently posted about Linux/Windows compatibility. The average person/user likes to stick with what he knows. If the Linux community can make exact ports of MS Office products, it hurts MS.
The logic is this: people will see Linux as falling within their comfort zone. The next step would be for the open source community to add valuable features that MS doesn't have (for example, built-in export to PDF).
This does two things: it gives users reasons (value and not just price) to use the Linux versions more and more and, 2, it makes MS have to struggle to innovate while lowering prices (and their margins) on their products. Increasing R&D expenditures combined with decreasing profit margins results in hard times.
So shall it be written; so shall it be done.
Re:If you've ever wondered why your PHB...
on
Why PHBs Fear Linux
·
· Score: 3, Informative
"Pointy headed boss". I am a PHB with an MBA and I never saw the word Linux in a textbook. However, being that I am natuarally geeky, I am slowly showing my company the benefits of open source.
That's a rather inane comment. People here are really just interested in one thing, when you get right down to it: being able to make software work the way they want it to behave. It seems that Massachusetts' CIO is also interested in seeing this happen.
What is wrong or zealous about being happy to see a state government doing its part to use open source software and possibly lower costs and improve productivity in the process?
If you don't like it, don't participate. There's no reason to troll or rain on everyone's parade.
This, however much a troll, is a good point. I'm fairly new at Linux but I installed Knoppix on my laptop about two months ago. I have a USB thumb drive that I spent a week figuring out how to mount. It took me another two weeks to figure out how to get the built-in wireless card working on booot...the first week was spent just getting the wireless card to work. And now, I'm spending what I expect to be another week trying to get StarOffice to render my fonts correctly on the screen. Now, about the mounting and copy and paste issues: couldn't those just be programmed into the kernel, for Pete's sake? I mean, maybe common stuff like copy/paste, mount/umount and stuff like that could just be made to work on boot?
Having said that, one of the reasons I love Linux is that I can tinker with it all day and make it work like I want it to.
People tend to form groups with those who are like them in some way. If they sent random invitations and these receivers invite their friends to join, we might have a very interesting simulation. For example, we can surmise that everyone who joins is computer literate. Other than that, it's all up in the air. Therefore, as people invite other who are probably like themselves (friends tend to be that way), we may end up with a very large and fairly good sample of Netizens. This, in turn, would be very useful for market research which, as we all know, can fetch a pretty hefty price on the open market. Therefore: no fees to join, no fees to maintain membership...just fill out a survey for us every once in a while. We don't even really need your e-mail address...just fill out the survey.
Call me strange but I think I could have been sitting on a pile of money if I would have implemented this first. I mean, people always want to join what you don't want them to join.
IBM is embracing open technologies fully because then, its competitors become its allies. In fact, it is a great strategy because it removes them from going in to potential customers and saying "our IBM stuff will meet all your needs". Instead (and this was also one of the reasons they bought the consulting firm a couple of years ago), they can say "we can bring in and support whatever hardware/software combination best meets your needs, whether or not it is made by IBM".
How does Linux fit into this strategy?
Well, what we have in the software industry today is a situation analogous to one where different car manufacturers have different gear shifts. Toyotas have one type, Fords have another type. In addition, Toyota only makes SUVs, Ford only makes two-seat convertibles and other companis only make one type of car. If you want to keep things simple, your wife and kids' cars should be Toyotas if yours is so that all of you you will have the knowledge of how to drive each others' cars so you can interchange them. If you need to haul a large load and you don't know how to drive the specific company that makes trucks' gear shift, you bring in a consultant skilled in that gearshift who has his own truck.
Now, imagine in this situation that a company called IBMW comes along and says they can teach anybody to drive any car (or truck), no matter what the gearshift, no matter what gear shift system they know. They will make tons of money. Add to that the fact that their brand of car (the Linuxwagen) can be driven by anyone and comes in different models for different needs and they will make even more money.
The bottom line is that certain aspects of every industry must be standard or interoperability and interchangeability (and therefore, usefulness and functionality) suffers. IBM strategy is visionary in that it call for dropping proprietary file formats (gear shift mechanisms) and standardizing under open standards. It's much like no one holds a patent on railroad guages but every rail car manufacturer in the US knows which guage to use so that they can be sold to anyone for use anywhere. Linux is open; it can be used anywhere.
Finally, Henry Ford said that he would trade his car manufacturing company for a auto repair and body shop company. IBM has essentially done this. They are in the process of retreating from making cars (proprietary operating systems like AIX) to maintaining and customizing them (its purchase of Price Waterhouse consulting operations). It is a very smart move: there is more profit in the business of helping existing businesses.
I am happy to hear that there is a Gimp 2 on the horizon. PhotoShop is becoming a parody of itself and anything else (PSP, etc.) is not really up to snuff. Hooray.
Actually, I think that this is more an illustration of Sun Tzu's principle that taking the city without fighting is the best case. In this instance, IBM, by embracing open source and Linux while agreeing to sell hardware and software from competitors like HP, has re-emerged as the leader in complete enterprise IT solutions while taking the enemy's ammunition as its own. How is HP supposed to compete with a company that says "if the situation is right, we recommend HP products" to its customers. HP spend more on research and development while IBM refocuses its research and development to other less competitive places (like the PowerPC chip). In addition, HP advertising becomes IBM advertising. Finally, by using open source and standards-based software, it can also claim infinite interoperability. Brilliant strategy, if you ask me.
Shut the fuck up, you Pepe LePew-hating, no-girlfriend, monkey-spanking, thumb up ass, no job, panty-peeping, live in your mother's basement, no Ma I'm not smoking anything, panty-stealing, hamper-diving, big Mac eating, left-cheek-sneak silent-but-deadly farting, skidmark wearing motherfucker. Learn how to speak French rather than using that Babelfish crap. (How's this for a native French speaker?)
Two farmers are fighting over a cow. One grabs the cow's tail and pulls while the other farmer grabs the cow's head and pulls. This last for a long time. While all this pulling is going on, the two farmers' lawyers sit in the middle and milk it.
As a newly-minted MBA, I'll say this: from the account you relate (I'm sure there are things neither of us know in this case), it seems like the managers at your firm are a little bit short-sighted. As they said in ancient Rome: "Quis custodiet ipsos custodies?" (Who is watching the watchers?).
For them to outsource to this company, a few questions should have been answered to your management's satisfaction:
How secure are your (the third party's) employees? Are they bonded? Do you have documented proof of their bonding?
In the worst case scenario, what defensive and recovery procedures are documented and in place for internal and external breaches of security?
Will you agree to a financial penalty for security breaches?
Will you agree to third party independent security audits? If so, we would like to attach financial penalties for sub-standard audit results.
There are other questions I would ask but you get the general idea. Outsourcing to providers is fine but considerable due diligence has to be done, especially in an area as sensitive as systems security.
Finally, it seems pretty naive to me to accept a comment such as "your internal security administrator is your biggest risk" from a company who business model is to replace internal security administrators. Duh!
I am not a coder or sysadmin but I do love technology, especially Linux. I have gone through a number of distros since 1999 and I think the move toward more user-friendly desktop Linux distros is great.
Those that can and enjoy getting into the guts of an OS should do it no matter what distro they choose. The rest of us just want something that works and isn't owned by a monopoly.
I've been using Xandros 1.0 for the past month and I must say this: it just works! Sure, I have some print over the network issues which will get ironed out in time. But, really, it's the first distro that has allowed me to turn off my Windoze box for a week. I woke it up to get some files I need and also to use Quark Xpress.
Just my two bits; I could be wrong.
I have a Canon s800 inkjet and I use generic cartridges all the time. Canon doesn't care and I love them for it. I replaced all four cartridges last month. Total cost: US$22. Yes, four cartridges. I don't work for Canon but I have great respect for them. Check out the printer here.
Slashdot Mirror
Mothafokas!!!!! First post dammitt!!!
Strategically speaking, this is not true. A readily available example is the way that Microsoft has co-opted javascript (j-script) and other technologies, subsequently morphing them into their own creation. Look at it this way: there are three stories currently posted about Linux/Windows compatibility. The average person/user likes to stick with what he knows. If the Linux community can make exact ports of MS Office products, it hurts MS. The logic is this: people will see Linux as falling within their comfort zone. The next step would be for the open source community to add valuable features that MS doesn't have (for example, built-in export to PDF). This does two things: it gives users reasons (value and not just price) to use the Linux versions more and more and, 2, it makes MS have to struggle to innovate while lowering prices (and their margins) on their products. Increasing R&D expenditures combined with decreasing profit margins results in hard times. So shall it be written; so shall it be done.
"Pointy headed boss". I am a PHB with an MBA and I never saw the word Linux in a textbook. However, being that I am natuarally geeky, I am slowly showing my company the benefits of open source.
That's a rather inane comment. People here are really just interested in one thing, when you get right down to it: being able to make software work the way they want it to behave. It seems that Massachusetts' CIO is also interested in seeing this happen. What is wrong or zealous about being happy to see a state government doing its part to use open source software and possibly lower costs and improve productivity in the process? If you don't like it, don't participate. There's no reason to troll or rain on everyone's parade.
This, however much a troll, is a good point. I'm fairly new at Linux but I installed Knoppix on my laptop about two months ago. I have a USB thumb drive that I spent a week figuring out how to mount. It took me another two weeks to figure out how to get the built-in wireless card working on booot...the first week was spent just getting the wireless card to work. And now, I'm spending what I expect to be another week trying to get StarOffice to render my fonts correctly on the screen. Now, about the mounting and copy and paste issues: couldn't those just be programmed into the kernel, for Pete's sake? I mean, maybe common stuff like copy/paste, mount/umount and stuff like that could just be made to work on boot? Having said that, one of the reasons I love Linux is that I can tinker with it all day and make it work like I want it to.
Is it me or does this sound like these scientists have been playing Missile Command on KnoppixMAME? What do we do about little green men? Defender?
I doubt it.
welcome our neonatal alpha male cloned masters.
People tend to form groups with those who are like them in some way. If they sent random invitations and these receivers invite their friends to join, we might have a very interesting simulation. For example, we can surmise that everyone who joins is computer literate. Other than that, it's all up in the air. Therefore, as people invite other who are probably like themselves (friends tend to be that way), we may end up with a very large and fairly good sample of Netizens. This, in turn, would be very useful for market research which, as we all know, can fetch a pretty hefty price on the open market. Therefore: no fees to join, no fees to maintain membership...just fill out a survey for us every once in a while. We don't even really need your e-mail address...just fill out the survey. Call me strange but I think I could have been sitting on a pile of money if I would have implemented this first. I mean, people always want to join what you don't want them to join.
IBM is embracing open technologies fully because then, its competitors become its allies. In fact, it is a great strategy because it removes them from going in to potential customers and saying "our IBM stuff will meet all your needs". Instead (and this was also one of the reasons they bought the consulting firm a couple of years ago), they can say "we can bring in and support whatever hardware/software combination best meets your needs, whether or not it is made by IBM". How does Linux fit into this strategy? Well, what we have in the software industry today is a situation analogous to one where different car manufacturers have different gear shifts. Toyotas have one type, Fords have another type. In addition, Toyota only makes SUVs, Ford only makes two-seat convertibles and other companis only make one type of car. If you want to keep things simple, your wife and kids' cars should be Toyotas if yours is so that all of you you will have the knowledge of how to drive each others' cars so you can interchange them. If you need to haul a large load and you don't know how to drive the specific company that makes trucks' gear shift, you bring in a consultant skilled in that gearshift who has his own truck. Now, imagine in this situation that a company called IBMW comes along and says they can teach anybody to drive any car (or truck), no matter what the gearshift, no matter what gear shift system they know. They will make tons of money. Add to that the fact that their brand of car (the Linuxwagen) can be driven by anyone and comes in different models for different needs and they will make even more money. The bottom line is that certain aspects of every industry must be standard or interoperability and interchangeability (and therefore, usefulness and functionality) suffers. IBM strategy is visionary in that it call for dropping proprietary file formats (gear shift mechanisms) and standardizing under open standards. It's much like no one holds a patent on railroad guages but every rail car manufacturer in the US knows which guage to use so that they can be sold to anyone for use anywhere. Linux is open; it can be used anywhere. Finally, Henry Ford said that he would trade his car manufacturing company for a auto repair and body shop company. IBM has essentially done this. They are in the process of retreating from making cars (proprietary operating systems like AIX) to maintaining and customizing them (its purchase of Price Waterhouse consulting operations). It is a very smart move: there is more profit in the business of helping existing businesses.
I am happy to hear that there is a Gimp 2 on the horizon. PhotoShop is becoming a parody of itself and anything else (PSP, etc.) is not really up to snuff. Hooray.
Actually, I think that this is more an illustration of Sun Tzu's principle that taking the city without fighting is the best case. In this instance, IBM, by embracing open source and Linux while agreeing to sell hardware and software from competitors like HP, has re-emerged as the leader in complete enterprise IT solutions while taking the enemy's ammunition as its own. How is HP supposed to compete with a company that says "if the situation is right, we recommend HP products" to its customers. HP spend more on research and development while IBM refocuses its research and development to other less competitive places (like the PowerPC chip). In addition, HP advertising becomes IBM advertising. Finally, by using open source and standards-based software, it can also claim infinite interoperability. Brilliant strategy, if you ask me.
Shut the fuck up, you Pepe LePew-hating, no-girlfriend, monkey-spanking, thumb up ass, no job, panty-peeping, live in your mother's basement, no Ma I'm not smoking anything, panty-stealing, hamper-diving, big Mac eating, left-cheek-sneak silent-but-deadly farting, skidmark wearing motherfucker. Learn how to speak French rather than using that Babelfish crap. (How's this for a native French speaker?)
I think this should fall under a new /. category called "Cube Hacks". All in favor?
Two farmers are fighting over a cow. One grabs the cow's tail and pulls while the other farmer grabs the cow's head and pulls. This last for a long time. While all this pulling is going on, the two farmers' lawyers sit in the middle and milk it.
As a newly-minted MBA, I'll say this: from the account you relate (I'm sure there are things neither of us know in this case), it seems like the managers at your firm are a little bit short-sighted. As they said in ancient Rome: "Quis custodiet ipsos custodies?" (Who is watching the watchers?).
For them to outsource to this company, a few questions should have been answered to your management's satisfaction:
How secure are your (the third party's) employees? Are they bonded? Do you have documented proof of their bonding?
In the worst case scenario, what defensive and recovery procedures are documented and in place for internal and external breaches of security?
Will you agree to a financial penalty for security breaches?
Will you agree to third party independent security audits? If so, we would like to attach financial penalties for sub-standard audit results.
There are other questions I would ask but you get the general idea. Outsourcing to providers is fine but considerable due diligence has to be done, especially in an area as sensitive as systems security. Finally, it seems pretty naive to me to accept a comment such as "your internal security administrator is your biggest risk" from a company who business model is to replace internal security administrators. Duh!I am not a coder or sysadmin but I do love technology, especially Linux. I have gone through a number of distros since 1999 and I think the move toward more user-friendly desktop Linux distros is great. Those that can and enjoy getting into the guts of an OS should do it no matter what distro they choose. The rest of us just want something that works and isn't owned by a monopoly. I've been using Xandros 1.0 for the past month and I must say this: it just works! Sure, I have some print over the network issues which will get ironed out in time. But, really, it's the first distro that has allowed me to turn off my Windoze box for a week. I woke it up to get some files I need and also to use Quark Xpress. Just my two bits; I could be wrong.
I have a Canon s800 inkjet and I use generic cartridges all the time. Canon doesn't care and I love them for it. I replaced all four cartridges last month. Total cost: US$22. Yes, four cartridges. I don't work for Canon but I have great respect for them. Check out the printer here .
So, I guess we can finally have mirrors that are mirrors? Excellent!!!
I'm not sure I see the importance of this one. Why is it here?