You're right in theory, but it depends which industry you (the government) are trying to promote.
If you are trying to promote an indigenous steel or tomato or widget industry, and you (the government) want those companies to have access to "cheap" software to run their business (we all know Linux and other GPL software are NOT free), then fine -- promoting GPL software is the way to go. Everyone can use it.
However, many countries are using "mandatory GPL" to promote a homegrown SOFTWARE industry, which doesn't work. Without intellectual property that someone can own and make money with, chances are no one is going to be chomping at the bit to make that software based on the government's code.
Anyone can use GPL software, but not everyone may be able to profit from it. Think about roads maintained by taxes. Anyone can drive over them, but corporations cannot charge tolls on people who use them.
That's not the case. Trucking companies make TONS of profits using this very government resource. Whereas rail freight companies have to build and maintain a very, very expensive capital cost (the railroad tracks), trucking companies have no such capital cost since the government builds and maintains the roadways for them.
One of government's purpose is to promote trade and commerce, and by definition that includes encouraging a profit motive. Unless people make money from the endeavor (both the entrepreneurs, and the employees and suppliers of those companies), the government doesn't get tax revenue, and doesn't have as much motive of its own to promote something that doesn't encourage the creation of businesses, jobs, profits, and a tax revenue base.
Don't make this complicated -- Microsoft sees this in a very easy way. The enemy (Sun) of my enemy (Linux) is my friend. Microsoft and Sun are both waging a battle against Linux. This helps both of them in that war.
"There is NO comparison. And you are ignorant to think so."
This is usually how this conversation degenerates on/.
My point is in response to the usual argument that "well, what right does India have? they have starving people! they are all poor! they should focus on their problems at home rather than stealing everyone else's jobs!" And, specifically in response to the comment: "Of course, we *know* who the servants and cooks are in India and *their* standard of living.".
From that perspective, there IS a comparison. Why should India "focus on their poverty only and leave the high tech to Americans"? How many high tech workers in the US have their hotel rooms vacuumed and cleaned by poor Mexican immigrants when they travel? Every country has problems, and poverty. To suggest that India should "just focus on their poverty and their poor" and not do something that elevates the economy and competitiveness of their society in general is ridiculous and insulting.
To suggest there is NO comparison is silly and stupid. My point is exactly that -- there are comparisons to be made. Should Intel shut down shop and go home, because there are still people starving in some backwater in Mississippi?
And, yes, I have actually been to slums in Bombay, Mexico City, AND Rio. And some truly appalling ones in the ghettos of Houston and Los Angeles and Harlem as well. Have you ever heard of an anti-hunger organization named "Share Our Strength" founded by Bill Shores? He wanted to help the starving people in Ethiopia 20 years ago, but realized that there are FAR more starving people in the US who could use his help. And I volunteer at a food bank here in Seattle. Yet, somehow, despite all these starving people here in the US, we still have a thriving high tech industry... Argue away, Slashdotters...
Boy, is there any Microsoft-related posting on/. where the comments aren't only modded as "funny"? And you call some of these off-repeated insults funny?
I think the whole world would take the Linux vs. Windows religion more seriously (and less religiously) if there was some real debate, not the obstandard trolling-bordering-on-mildly-funny.
Obtroll: You would think the world's biggest DOJ-sanctioned illegal monopoly would have the money to better secure their own network. Maybe Oracle or Sun or IBM would like to describe how their networks are far-better protected, given that they're secured by industry-leading, open-source Linux that has never had a security bug of any kind, and simply can't be hacked. That would be a far better source of information than this "crap" put out by Bill Gates' mindless minions in Redmond.
Ironically, marketing is the very reason you're convinced that Microsoft Windows and Office are actually quality products, and you appear happy to use them despite your belief that you have no other choice. You should be pissed off that there aren't a dozen interoperable choices that suit your needs.
Actually, I have a degree in computer science. From an Ivy League university. Graduated top of my class. I can probably code you into the ground and design faster and more efficient algorithms, to boot. Just because I'm a marketer doesn't mean I'm a moron, jackoff. And don't forget who has to sell and market the buggy shit you code together between bouts of Jolt and Quake and wacking off to pr0n in your office. If it wasn't for we "marketers", you'd be unemployed.
But that's not the point. I have worked in high tech marketing for the past 6 years. I don't want some fucking choice. I don't want to tinker with some half-assed, cobbled-together piece of shit thrown together by volunteers, that MAYBE works with my coworkers, the half-dozen vendors and marketing agencies I work with, etc.
I have a job to do. When I switch jobs, which I do every couple of years, I want to show up for work and be sitting in front of the EXACT SAME APPLICATIONS in each place. I don't have time to learn a new word processor, or spreadsheet, or presentation package. No, they're not "too hard" to learn but even for a CS major like me who spent years working in IT, I don't give a fuck. They're just tools for me to do my job. I learned them once, don't want to learn them again, even if it means that the keyboard commands are different.
Fuck choice. Choice is for down-and-out unemployed weenies who have time to tinker. I have a job to do.
do busineses really sit down and say, "first you take the mouse, move it over the text, push and hold the button, no the left one..."
Hell yes, they do! And it's not because their employees are "stupid" or whatever other moronic arguments you make.
If you work in IT, then it's obvious that you know something about how to use a computer. Sure, some companies expect some people in some jobs to have computer literacy skills, and usually those skills are on MS Office, or Wordperfect or Lotus 1-2-3. Training and retraining really is expensive. People in, say, accounting or manufacturing know how to do THEIR jobs, not YOURS. They don't spend their days tinkering with computers, they spend it doing a real job for which they get paid real money.
If you were to take my marketing job, I GUARANTEE you would get your ass handed to you, day in and day out, forever. You don't know how to use a machine tool? You don't know how to close a company's quarterly books? You don't know how the mailroom works? Boy, you must be a complete moron.
Yes, you're expected to know how to "use a freaking computer". That computer is called an x86 personal computer running Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office. My marketing job is not valuable unless I know how to use that OS and those applications, and I know how to use them well.
I can't believe this troll flamebait is modded as "interesting." Such is/.
Be afraid, be very afraid. Building labs like this, and investing in "learning the enemy", is the singular reason why Microsoft wins time and again. Regardless of what you think of their tactics, you have to admit that building a Linux testing lab -- from a "learn the enemy" standpoint -- is a damn good idea.
This article is a great example of why white-trash computer geeks should NOT be deciding our country's economic policy. Some of you need to get econ degrees or MBAs and understand the basics of comparative advantage and why cheap foreign software is good for everyone involved.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually, the analogies are important.
You're right in theory, but it depends which industry you (the government) are trying to promote.
If you are trying to promote an indigenous steel or tomato or widget industry, and you (the government) want those companies to have access to "cheap" software to run their business (we all know Linux and other GPL software are NOT free), then fine -- promoting GPL software is the way to go. Everyone can use it.
However, many countries are using "mandatory GPL" to promote a homegrown SOFTWARE industry, which doesn't work. Without intellectual property that someone can own and make money with, chances are no one is going to be chomping at the bit to make that software based on the government's code.
Anyone can use GPL software, but not everyone may be able to profit from it. Think about roads maintained by taxes. Anyone can drive over them, but corporations cannot charge tolls on people who use them.
That's not the case. Trucking companies make TONS of profits using this very government resource. Whereas rail freight companies have to build and maintain a very, very expensive capital cost (the railroad tracks), trucking companies have no such capital cost since the government builds and maintains the roadways for them.
One of government's purpose is to promote trade and commerce, and by definition that includes encouraging a profit motive. Unless people make money from the endeavor (both the entrepreneurs, and the employees and suppliers of those companies), the government doesn't get tax revenue, and doesn't have as much motive of its own to promote something that doesn't encourage the creation of businesses, jobs, profits, and a tax revenue base.
a mere $29.95 download or $39.95 for the 8 CD set
Ummm, I thought Linux was FREE?!?!
Don't make this complicated -- Microsoft sees this in a very easy way. The enemy (Sun) of my enemy (Linux) is my friend. Microsoft and Sun are both waging a battle against Linux. This helps both of them in that war.
Beavis, we're talking about corporate users here, not your mother-in-law or John Q. Buttuser.
"There is NO comparison. And you are ignorant to think so."
/.
This is usually how this conversation degenerates on
My point is in response to the usual argument that "well, what right does India have? they have starving people! they are all poor! they should focus on their problems at home rather than stealing everyone else's jobs!" And, specifically in response to the comment: "Of course, we *know* who the servants and cooks are in India and *their* standard of living.". From that perspective, there IS a comparison. Why should India "focus on their poverty only and leave the high tech to Americans"? How many high tech workers in the US have their hotel rooms vacuumed and cleaned by poor Mexican immigrants when they travel? Every country has problems, and poverty. To suggest that India should "just focus on their poverty and their poor" and not do something that elevates the economy and competitiveness of their society in general is ridiculous and insulting.
To suggest there is NO comparison is silly and stupid. My point is exactly that -- there are comparisons to be made. Should Intel shut down shop and go home, because there are still people starving in some backwater in Mississippi?
And, yes, I have actually been to slums in Bombay, Mexico City, AND Rio. And some truly appalling ones in the ghettos of Houston and Los Angeles and Harlem as well. Have you ever heard of an anti-hunger organization named "Share Our Strength" founded by Bill Shores? He wanted to help the starving people in Ethiopia 20 years ago, but realized that there are FAR more starving people in the US who could use his help. And I volunteer at a food bank here in Seattle. Yet, somehow, despite all these starving people here in the US, we still have a thriving high tech industry... Argue away, Slashdotters...
The white-trash ignorance of Slashdotters is truly amazing! Are all of you hillbillies from the trailer park?
You probably haven't looked up an economic statistic lately, but you DO realize that 1/4 of all American children grow up in poverty, don't you?
I know it's "fashionable" to bash on the poor people in India and use it as an excuse, but first you should look at home, don't you think?
Boy, is there any Microsoft-related posting on /. where the comments aren't only modded as "funny"? And you call some of these off-repeated insults funny?
I think the whole world would take the Linux vs. Windows religion more seriously (and less religiously) if there was some real debate, not the obstandard trolling-bordering-on-mildly-funny.
Obtroll: You would think the world's biggest DOJ-sanctioned illegal monopoly would have the money to better secure their own network. Maybe Oracle or Sun or IBM would like to describe how their networks are far-better protected, given that they're secured by industry-leading, open-source Linux that has never had a security bug of any kind, and simply can't be hacked. That would be a far better source of information than this "crap" put out by Bill Gates' mindless minions in Redmond.
Ironically, marketing is the very reason you're convinced that Microsoft Windows and Office are actually quality products, and you appear happy to use them despite your belief that you have no other choice. You should be pissed off that there aren't a dozen interoperable choices that suit your needs.
Actually, I have a degree in computer science. From an Ivy League university. Graduated top of my class. I can probably code you into the ground and design faster and more efficient algorithms, to boot. Just because I'm a marketer doesn't mean I'm a moron, jackoff. And don't forget who has to sell and market the buggy shit you code together between bouts of Jolt and Quake and wacking off to pr0n in your office. If it wasn't for we "marketers", you'd be unemployed.
But that's not the point. I have worked in high tech marketing for the past 6 years. I don't want some fucking choice. I don't want to tinker with some half-assed, cobbled-together piece of shit thrown together by volunteers, that MAYBE works with my coworkers, the half-dozen vendors and marketing agencies I work with, etc.
I have a job to do. When I switch jobs, which I do every couple of years, I want to show up for work and be sitting in front of the EXACT SAME APPLICATIONS in each place. I don't have time to learn a new word processor, or spreadsheet, or presentation package. No, they're not "too hard" to learn but even for a CS major like me who spent years working in IT, I don't give a fuck. They're just tools for me to do my job. I learned them once, don't want to learn them again, even if it means that the keyboard commands are different.
Fuck choice. Choice is for down-and-out unemployed weenies who have time to tinker. I have a job to do.
do busineses really sit down and say, "first you take the mouse, move it over the text, push and hold the button, no the left one..."
Hell yes, they do! And it's not because their employees are "stupid" or whatever other moronic arguments you make.
If you work in IT, then it's obvious that you know something about how to use a computer. Sure, some companies expect some people in some jobs to have computer literacy skills, and usually those skills are on MS Office, or Wordperfect or Lotus 1-2-3. Training and retraining really is expensive. People in, say, accounting or manufacturing know how to do THEIR jobs, not YOURS. They don't spend their days tinkering with computers, they spend it doing a real job for which they get paid real money.
If you were to take my marketing job, I GUARANTEE you would get your ass handed to you, day in and day out, forever. You don't know how to use a machine tool? You don't know how to close a company's quarterly books? You don't know how the mailroom works? Boy, you must be a complete moron.
Yes, you're expected to know how to "use a freaking computer". That computer is called an x86 personal computer running Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office. My marketing job is not valuable unless I know how to use that OS and those applications, and I know how to use them well.
I can't believe this troll flamebait is modded as "interesting." Such is /.
Be afraid, be very afraid. Building labs like this, and investing in "learning the enemy", is the singular reason why Microsoft wins time and again. Regardless of what you think of their tactics, you have to admit that building a Linux testing lab -- from a "learn the enemy" standpoint -- is a damn good idea.
This article is a great example of why white-trash computer geeks should NOT be deciding our country's economic policy. Some of you need to get econ degrees or MBAs and understand the basics of comparative advantage and why cheap foreign software is good for everyone involved.